Country Images Magazine North April 2018 | Page 21

not to the American Stead Lowe, junior, as one might expect, but to William Drury, a Nottingham-born London merchant, whose grandmother had been Vincent Lowe’s sister, and in 1790 he assumed the additional surname and arms of Lowe by Royal Sign Manual. He then set about greatly enlarging the reasonably modest provincial Baroque Smith of Warwick Locko Hall, but died in July 1827 leaving only a daughter and heiress, Mary Anne, who had run away to get married at Gretna Green in August 1800. Why the skulduggery – which drew down the displeasure of her parents – is unclear, because her swain was entirely suitable: Robert Holden of Nuthall Temple and Darley Hall (1765-1844). Indeed, the Holdens were of rather more distinguished lineage than the Drurys, and just as well off ! Spondon House, being so plain and simple, was probably built for the widowed Ellen Lowe and her three daughters, which would suggest a building date of 1785, which looks entirely right. Possibly William Drury wanted nothing much to do with poor Ellen, and Spondon Ho use would have been provided with the minimum of ornament and a lowish cost, probably built by the Locko estate foreman using a plan and elevations from one of the many well-illustrated builders’ manuals then available. Th e rooms inside, according to a late friend who was educated there, were quite plain and the staircase (albeit moved, as noted above) was typical of the period, being timber with mahogany rail and stick balusters. doubt, was the NE extension built, resulting in the new entrance, conservatory and moved staircase with the accompanying strange roof arrangements at the east end of the house. Yet in the event, she died only fi ve years later, in 1849, leaving Spondon House (as it was once more) vacant. In 1854 a new lease was acquired by Revd. Th omas Gascoigne, who founded a prep school called ‘Spondon House School for the sons of Gentlemen’ there. He was joined in 1874 by Revd. Edward Priestland, who married his Established 1984 daughter and later took over as proprietor and headmaster of what, under his enthusiastic guidance, was to become one of the best schools of its type in the area; the Australians even played their cricket team in 1898! So much so, that following Priestland’s retirement, and under his successor, C. H. T. Hayman, it amalgamated with Winchester House School, Deal, Kent (which had been founded by a relative of Priestland’s) in 1912. Spondon House was not empty for long, for it was requisitioned in 1914 as an auxiliary hospital, KITCHENS, WET ROOMS, BATHROOMS & SHOWER ROOMS It is not clear when Ellen Lowe died but, by 1801, runaway Mary Anne and Robert Holden were in residence, and they not only re-named it Aston Lodge (aft er the Aston-on-Trent estate from which these Holdens sprang) but set about enlarging it. Th ey appear to have put in the windows either side of the entrance and also added the substantial, but slightly lower range to the right of the entrance. Bathroom Images of Leabrooks. 44a Charles Street, Leabrooks, Derbyshire DE55 1LZ To Somercotes Main Road B6016 LEABROOKS To Swanwick However, by 1814, Aston Lodge, as it now was, became vacant yet again, which must suggest that, with the then recent improvements wrought to Locko by John Dodds and William Lees of Derby, there was room for two households there. Th us in that year Spondon House was let to Miss Edwards who founded an ‘Academy for Young Ladies’ which fl ourished there until 1844. Th at was the year Robert Holden died, and Miss Edwards was obliged to re-locate to Derby, so that his widow Mary Anne could move in, her son William Drury Holden (thereaft er Lowe) having succeeded to Locko. For her, without et tre s S rle a Ch Opening times: Monday to Friday 9am – 4pm, Saturday 9.30am to 1pm. E: [email protected] T: 01773 608531 CountryImagesMagazine.co.uk | 21