I was a courier driver to welbeck daily about ten years ago and the parcels to the abbey was for, Perente They also own the majority of Holbeck and lots of buildings in Nether Langwith.
@@timawells I’m pretty sure Welbeck owns a lot of the old pit buildings that still stand used as businesses now at the very bottom of bolsover hill, some reach they have
I was in an antique shop in the Cotswolds many years ago. I had just learned about the Portland dynasty, and came across, a silver platter, inscribed to the Duke of Portland.
The most credible story I know about the tunnels is that the Duke was very concerned about the poverty of the day and was empathetic to the plight of the villagers but also very much against charity so he devised the digging of the tunnels to create work for the surrounding hamlets and villages so that people could be paid and buy food. Much like the Williamson Tunnels in Edge Hill Liverpool. I don't think any tunnels extend outside of the estate boundary, certainly not to Worksop Station During the war I have heard it said that some tunnels were used for storing munitions and some for storing dried food manufactured by Batchelors Foods whose plant used to be on Gateford Road where Tesco currently is. My house, just off Sparken Hill, is built on Worksop Manor land 😂 which originally stretched from Sparken Hill, Castle Farm Lane and over to the current boundary by the Bypass. Somewhere I have copies of the Deeds passing the Land from Mr Farr, the then owner, over to the estate builders.
Hi Tom I believe the house is Worksop manor , only half is left and I believe it is a private residence, there is some confusion over who owned the property, some say it was the `Duke of Northumberland, or the Duke of Norfolk , I do know that the part of the property that was demolished it was bought by the Duke of Newcastle, who owned the near by climber estate. There was four Dukes who lived or owned estates in the area Northumberland, Newcastle, Norfolk, Portland , nearby is Thorsby Hall owned by the Earl of Manvers, a very interesting area to live for someone like me that loves History
Quite some history in these parts. How do people amass this kind of wealth? It wasn't until I got home and researched it I discovered how big Worksop Manor is.
Hi Tom, Great video and thanks for the insights. Do you know more about the tunnels that are supposed to be all over the place? Because I came across the 5th Duke of Pelham and he is said to have built huge tunnel systems. If you know more about it, I would be happy if you share your knowledge with me.
The story I was told is The old duke of Portland had a skin condition and daylight didn't help the situation,so he had the tunnels dug to travel from place to place in secret,and to avoid daylight...we used to take our kids and grandkids there for chestnuts...great vid Tim, Thanks for posting.👍
todays owner is Lady Anne Bentinck the duke of portland was a hunchback didn't like people seeing him and the tunnels go for miles all over the place like in to worksop
That story has not been confirmed. I recently went on a tour of Welbeck Abbey and one of the sculptures on display is from the Death Mask of the Tunnel Duke. He was not a Hunchback but, according to the people showing us around , just a shy person who was not socially.
The original Duke of Portland, 17th C. Was said, to have worn a vale, because of some disfigurement. Yes, there is a tunnel and ballroom. The tunnel leads to Worksop Rail station, where, they made a special carriage for him to travel on his stagecoach. To London, to the brothels I heard?. The big houses of the Dukeries were built on profits from slavery., Chatsworth Haddon Hall, Hardwick, Thorsby, etc. It was a tank division that was based on the land. One of the descendants, a Lady, was, known to drive her car like a lunatic. The Lions gate, is a typical late 16th 17th C Roco style in the Baroque 1695, period, that lasted until 1750. When Mozart was born. Worksop literally means Work Hill. A Sop was another name for Hill. In the old days, so what was Warsop?. War Soo?. Harthill means Deer Hill, A heart was an old word for dear.
Not yet Tim. I'm a Nerd when it comes to history. I have seen prints of the house for sale on eBay. It was huge, and due to be extended, making it the biggest house in England. It had a palladium front, with Romanesque pillars. Have you heard of the old Manor, over the real crossing in Kivo,?. Somewhere near the Parish oven'. Apparently destroyed by fire. I wonder if it was the Luddites?. Thanks..@@timawells
Not heard of the old Manor across the rail crossing. But there is a Methodist church here tucked behind the trees. Do you have nay history on it?@@moogdome2562
None of the tunnels run to Worksop Railway station, none run outside of the estate. There was (according to some railway history) a siding at Worksop station where a coach could be left for the Duke. According to the tour guides at Welbeck Abbey there is no evidence that the Duke had a disfigurement - there is a sculpture of him, taken from his death mask, on display in Welbeck Abbey if you go on the tour.
There's old underground stables and a so called ballroom top hats used it ww2 to decide what happened. A crown got robbed from the place in 2017 as well I know this place like back of my hand lol 😂
He was disfigured looked like a monster locals called him a vampire that's why he made tunnels in his garden and to the Worksop church and Whitwell church
The disfigured story is not confirmed. There is a sculpture, taken from his death mask, on display in Welbeck Abbey , the guides said he was socially inept but not disfigured. No tunnels to Worksop Church or Station, look at a map, too far and they would have to be deep. No tunnels apparently extend outside of the estate borders.
