Thoughts from Cornwall
I was interested to read and see what remains of Panshanger House (or Mansion as it was commonly called). I lived on the estate between 1943 – 1959 at Panshanger Nurseries, about a mile to the west of the house. We originally used to get our water from the Mimram and the pumps were below the house by a rather run down boat house on the river. Lady Desborough was very good to us and allowed us useful winter income to pick snowdrops in the woods by the mansion and other parts of the park – it meant many house lying prostrate on the leafy floor in January and February!. In return we used to present Lady D with peaches from the glasshouses and figs on the wall of the walled garden at the nursery.
I used to ride my pony in the park and enjoyed the woodlands and rides as they were then but, I understand, long since gone. Joan Middleton, or Miss Midd, as she was known, went to the stables of the mansion soon after the house was demolished. She originally had stables at Quenby’s farm in Hertingfordbury. It is strange to read of her being ‘an old lady’ as I still think of her as a young and smart lady who had an elderly mother!
I am glad the Oak is still growing and not hacked by Wallace & Inns who bought the land, including the nursery. At the nursery was the biggest known Ginkgo biloba (Maiden Hair Fern) tree in the UK. Looking at the Google map it would appear that the tree is still standing and the walled garden is well maintained. From memory I think the whole estate was offered for £330k but there were no buyers for the one lot and it was split up. The nursery, house and 20 acres was sold for £5500. . It was a pity that, like many houses at the time, the mansion fell to the demolition crew. I remember the auction after it was razed to the ground, of fireplaces, doors and fabrics etc and wonder just how much it would have made nowadays.
The sale of the mansion was a big blow to the parish of Hertingfordbury. It meant the village hall was sold, in a rather underhanded way, to the Masons and the village playing field at Hertingforbury would have gone a similar way had it not been for the vicar of St Mary’s at the time and Jocelyn Abel Smith, from Letty Green, who came to the rescue and bought it on behalf of the parish. I wonder what became of the primary school at Birch Green, where I spent 6 years under the tutorage of Mrs Betts?
Topic: Panshanger House & the Panshanger Oak in the snow (Read 3902 times)