Wingfield Manor, near Alfreton in Derbyshire, is famous to most people as the place where Mary, Queen of Scots was held prisoner for many years before her execution. The place is largely a ruin. English Heritage run guided tours of the site. Other than on these guided tours, the site is not open to the public. I have passed the place many times on walks and in my car. The ruins look very imposing from afar. I took a few photos in my entry for W/C 21st September 2013.
Naturally, I decided to walk from home to do the tour - a round distance of around 20 miles. As I arrived nearby rather early, I did a small loop south to see some beautiful bluebells in Shaw Wood, between Oakerthorpe and South Wingfield. The day was warm, clear and sunny - perfect for a day out in the countryside, on foot!
The day began with a short trip along our local superhighway - the A38. The road was surprisingly quiet. Spanning the road is Ashfield's Milennium Bridge. I took the footpath on the right, which is more pleasant than the A38 for walkers.
Just a short way further east, I turned north and descended Rookery Lane
This leads onto an old pit tip, now landscaped. Taking the right-hand path leads to the summit.
The summit has long views across the surrounding area, including this one to the north of Huthwaite. In the distance is one of the highest points in Nottinghamshire.
Continuing along the path, I descended to a modern housing estate before turning left and heading for the start of the Blackwell Trail.The entrance is very inauspicious. Once beyond the industrial estate it is quite pleasant though.
Here we are, well on the way towards Hilcote and the M1 underpass.
Hilcote was the site of another colliery - called "B Winning". The colliery was off to the right.
After Hilcote and the M1 motorway, the tower of Blackwell church comes into view, high up on a hilltop just to the north.
After crossing the road from Blackwell to South Normanton, I passed onto the newer part of the Blackwell Trail, leading past the site of "A Winning" colliery and on to Westhouses. Not that long ago, this was the site of extensive railway sidings and railway locomotive sheds. These have now been landscaped into oblivion.
As I approached the railway line at Westhouses, I followed the footpath round to the left and then sharp right under a railway bridge. Just beyond the bridge another footpath took me south for a short distance before heading west again towards Alfreton. This was my last view of Westhouses, across the fields.
My route took me past a sewage works and through a housing estate, so no photos for a while! Eventually, I arrived at the centre of Alfreton, with its war memorial.
I turned west along Church Street and then veered right towards the church.
The footpath goes through the church grounds and turns sharp right just beyond the tower. After a short walk along a narrow, walled path, you arrive at the edge of Alfreton Park, with panoramic views over the surrounding countryside. This is the view north west, towards Wessington.
I took the track west towards Oakerthorpe and South Wingfield. It was a beautiful, clear day, so Crich Column and church tower were clearly visible in the far distance.
This is the view west from near Four Lane Ends.
At the main road, I headed straight on over fields towards South Wingfield. The church can be seen here, nestling in the valley below.
I was rather early for the booked tour of Wingfield Manor. I decided to head south and come around to the manor from the south east. At the railway line, I turned left and headed past the ruins of Wingfield Railway Station. I crossed the main road and headed up the hill alongside the railway. This has a high stone retaining wall.
Finally, I got my first view of Wingfield Manor, hidden slightly amongst trees on the far side of the valley.
To my left, the valley side was heavily wooded, with an absolutely stunning carpet of bluebells.
The woodland is called Shaw Wood. The bluebells extended for maybe half a mile along the valley and quite a long way up the hillside. I was very lucky. I seem to have stumbled on the bluebells at exactly the right time to see them at their very best.
I climbed through the wood to the hilltop and on to the main road near Oakerthorpe. This follows the ridge southwards, overlooking the countryside to the west. I hoped to get a better view of Wingfield Manor and was not disappointed! Here is a panoramic shot, with the Manor ringed in yellow..
Further south, the road runs much closer to the Manor, showing the way the building dominates the surrounding area very clearly.
I turned right along a minor lane and then right again over the stream and under the railway. A little way further on, a footpath begins on the right. This leads down the driveway to a house before turning left and crossing a small stream.
The path gently climbs the hillside. Eventually, the fortifications of Wingfield Manor came into view on the horison.
For the tour, I had to carry on north to the main road at South Wingfield village, then turn left towards Crich. The official entrance to the Manor, is about half a mile along this road, on the left hand side. The view of the Manor from the entrance is really inspiring - though there appears to be a danger that the ruins will eventually be hidden by trees. Beyond here, the site is not open to the public - except on the official tours.
To quote the English Heritage site......
"The vast and immensely impressive ruins of a palatial medieval manor house arranged round a pair of courtyards, with a huge undercrofted Great Hall and a defensible High Tower 22 metres (72 feet) tall. This monument to late medieval ‘conspicuous consumption’ was built in the 1440s for the wealthy Ralph, Lord Cromwell, Treasurer of England. Later the home of Bess of Hardwick’s husband, the Earl of Shrewsbury, who imprisoned Mary Queen of Scots here in 1569, 1584 and 1585".
At the appointed time, the group of tourists, myself included, climbed the trackway towards the buildings. We passed a couple of fishponds on the way. This is the view looking back towards the entrance.
The tours are run by English Heritage. Our guide gave us a very comprehensive tour, flooding us with information about the history of the site. The original Manor has not been inhabited since the 1770s - except for the attached farmhouse, which is part of a working farm. Most of the ruins are roofless and much of the masonry has been deliberately pulled down. Nevertheless, it is not difficult to imagine just how grand the Manor must have been in Tudor times, when it was at its height. It would be impossible to give a true idea of the magnificence of the ruins in photographs as most of the building is tightly packed together in one corner of the site. Instead, I took just a few to just give an impression of the atmosphere of the place.
This is a view looking vertically up the large chimney in the kitchen area.
A narrow passageway leading from the kitchen area into the north courtyard.
A view from a window looking out onto the "new" Wingfield Manor, built in the eighteenth century when the inhabitants of the old building decided they wanted to live in something a little more modern.
The Barn, which has superb wooden beams dating to the 1400s. It is believed to be the oldest surviving building on the site.
The southeast corner of the Great Hall.
The tower from the southwest. Much of this area was pulled down in the English Civil War to prevent it further being used for military purposes
The eastern wall adjacent to the North Courtyard. This has evidence of damage caused during one of the sieges in the Civil War, when the Manor changed hands several times.
This area contained the State Apartments.
The Undercroft, situated under the Great Hall - very dark and atmospheric!
Another part of the Undercroft, showing the fine ceiling.
We were invited to climb the tower, which gives superb views over the ruins and the surrounding area. This shows the State Apartments on the left and the Great Hall on the right.
This view is a little more to the left, with the kitchen block in the distance. The castellated "towers" are actually chimneys.
A view in the North Courtyard showing (left to right) the kitchen block, State Apartments and the porch to the Great Hall
A view inside the Great Hall, looking east.
...and finally, the original main entrance to the Manor, situated in the South Courtyard. The Barn is on the right.
I returned from the Manor more or less the same way as I came, but cutting a few corners as I had a long way to go and it would be getting late by the time I got home. There was little point in taking any further photos - though I did see a hot air balloon take off from a field just south of Alfreton railway station.
I thoroughly enjoyed the tour of Wingfield Manor and would highly recommend it. The tours are currently only run during Spring and Summer, on the first Saturday of each month. You have to book in advance. To book a tour telephone English Heritage Customer Services on: 0870 333 1183 Monday – Friday, 9 am - 5 pm.
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