http://www.parlington.co.uk/rss_feed.lasso New details on the Parlington Site. en-us http://www.parlington.co.uk/structures.lasso?process=3&subProcess=struct11 One of the assets of the estate was the quarry at Huddlestone [Also called Huddleston, Hudereston, and Huderston over the centuries] and although Parlington enjoyed local mineral extraction, the quality of the stone from Huddlestone was renouned. Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:30:00 +0100 http://www.parlington.co.uk/oddstuff.lasso?process=2&subprocess=odd3 The article records the events of a shooting party at Parlington Park and details the tragic death of a part time gamekeeper, a George William Pratt from Garforth, who was also in full time employment as a miner at the Gascoigne mines in Garforth. Thu, 14 May 2009 09:00:00 + 0100 http://www.parlington.co.uk/structures.lasso?process=3&subProcess=struct5 The railway which operated between Garforth and Aberford, was a private line for the purpose of delivering coal to a more advantageous point for further on going horse drawn carriage into the areas to the north around Tadcaster. Mon, 04 May 2009 22:00:00 + 0100 http://www.parlington.co.uk/inhabitants.lasso?process=1&subProcess=gasc9 There are two parts to this article, the first about the relics which scatter the estate as a result of the army occupation during the war years and secondly a timely extract from the authors of a book on Douglas Gascoigne and his peers from Magdelan College, Oxford. Mon, 08 June 2009 17:00:00 + 0100 http://www.parlington.co.uk/locations.lasso?process=9&subProcess=local5 The article opens with a passage written in 1781 by a John Watson of Malton, who waxes on about the locality and its resources, centred on Bramham Moor. The ramble description starts in the centre of Leeds and continues by train to Garforth where the walk commences along the old "Flyline", some four years after the introduction of steam trains on the Aberford Railway, with the Manning Wardle engines Mulciber and Ignifer. We are some 135 years on as of 2009 from the description offered by the writer of the article and a further 228 years on from description offered by Mr Watson. Much has changed, not least the style and use of language, but the description offers an insight into Parlington during its heyday. The article continues with the walk progressing to Hazelwood and Bramham, and continues through to Collingham and Wetherby, where the intrepid writer, presumably somewhat exhausted by the his efforts is carried back to Leeds in a "Bus", obviously a horse drawn affair! Sun, 21 June 2009 19:30:00 + 0100 http://www.parlington.co.uk/inhabitants.lasso?process=1&subProcess=gasc10 Far from being confined to the British Isles the Gacoignes ventured far and wide in their own steam-yacht, complete with crew! Mon, 22 June 2009 22:30:00 + 0100 http://www.parlington.co.uk/inhabitants.lasso?process=1&subProcess=gasc5_1#manoeuvres The Colonel was a man who enjoyed his role as the honorary Colonel of The Second West York (Leeds) Engineer Volunteers. Numerous accounts have been discovered of his activities at Parlington with the army. Such that the two acounts detailed, give an impression of the siege of Sevastapol (1854-1855), rather than a tranquil rural setting in Yorkshire. Wed, 24 June 2009 22:30:00 + 0100 http://www.parlington.co.uk/inhabitants.lasso?process=1&subProcess=gasc4#obit The two sons of Richard Oliver Gascoigne died within months of each other the first the eldest Thomas in London in April 1842, the second Richard on Christmas day whilst the family were on holiday in Weymouth! Thu, 25 June 2009 17:30:00 + 0100 http://www.parlington.co.uk/structures.lasso?process=3&subProcess=struct5_1 From time to time I like to reflect on how the Parlington Estate landscape looked in the eighteenth century, of course it would be even more interesting to consider it before that time but sadly little information has been uncovered to date which lends any opportunity to make any realistic projections; perhaps in the future I may be able to write on this. The landscape, like the climate, is an ever changing feature, for the most part we don't notice the subtleties month by month, but photographs separated by a few years can reveal the small incremental changes. Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:30:00 + 0100 http://www.parlington.co.uk/structures.lasso?process=3&subProcess=struct7_7 The article is an extract taken from the Leeds Mercury, which records the afternoon and evening horticultural event that was held by the side of the lake, on the opposite bank from the cottage. The scene on the occasion looking across the lake would have been almost as the header picture, which is from the 1860's but the small rowing boat would have been in active use. Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:30:00 + 0100 http://www.parlington.co.uk/headers.lasso Each page on the site has a header picture, which is related to the topic of that page. So I reasoned that to make a new way of viewing the content, it might help to see the pictures, in no particular order, then you might like to view that section. Currently there are six pages of these pictures, a few images have been omitted as they do not have the same aspect ratio. Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:30:00 + 0100 http://www.parlington.co.uk/locations.lasso?process=9&subProcess=local6 The Spitfire cruised southwards, with the characteristic Merlin engine note, could it have been flying to commemorate the funeral of Harry Patch Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:00:00 + 0100 http://www.parlington.co.uk/structures.lasso?process=3#lindley There is an interesting connection associated with William Lindley, architect, which could add to the plausibility of the rumour that The Prince Regent, later George the 4th, refused to continue to Parlington for a luncheon with Sir Thomas Gascoigne on encountering the Triumphal Arch, when informed of the purpose of the structure, Liberty Triumphant N. America MDCCLXXXII (1783). Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:00:00 + 0100 http://www.parlington.co.uk/structures.lasso?process=3&subProcess=struct12 The number of people engaged in the harvesting process is at least six, for this operation. Further the field of wheat or barley would have earlier been cut by a horse drawn binder/reaper and the sheaves stacked into stooks in the field, these became commonplace farming methods in the nineteenth century. The mechanisation was a step change from millenia of back breaking work of cutting the wheat with a scythe or sickle, hand collecting into sheaves for further drying and then using hand threshing methods. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:00:00 + 0100 http://www.parlington.co.uk/photos.lasso?process=4&subProcess=photo7 The series of oil paintings newly completed by Anthony Christian is being added progressively to the site in the pictures section, please use the link to see them, it should be completed within a few days. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:30:00 +0100 http://www.parlington.co.uk/mines.lasso?process=10 The Gascoigne wealth, whilst substantial from their landed assets, was boosted exponentially in the nineteenth century by the growth of the Garforth coal mines. An article explaining a serious flood from the Leeds Mercury of March 1883 opens up a new section on the Parlington web site dedicated to this activity. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100 http://www.parlington.co.uk/structures.lasso?process=3&subProcess=struct4_5 The Gascoigne family enjoyed their own gas supply for lighting etc in the nineteenth century, before being connected to the gas service from Garforth Gas works in the later years of that century. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:30:00 GMT http://www.parlington.co.uk/artifacts.lasso?process=8&subProcess=art11 He [Richard Oliver Gascoigne] commissioned Gillows of Lancaster to refurnish the principal rooms. The original order was intended to equip five bed and dressing rooms, the dining room, library and a study. The repertoire for each bedroom was almost exactly the same. Richard Gascoigne continued his patronage of Gillows until his death in 1843 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:00:00 GMT http://www.parlington.co.uk/structures.lasso?process=3&subProcess=struct13 The picture of the almshouses is a lithograph by the architect George Fowler Jones, this copy hangs at Lotherton Hall and I managed to get a half decent photograph of it through the glass of the frame! Following the death of their father [Aged 80] and before him their two elder brothers [Thomas aged 35 & Richard aged 34] all in the space of a year, it is perhaps not surprising that the Gascoigne sisters [Isabella & Elizabeth] decided to commemorate their passing by building the charitable almshouses. They engaged Fowler Jones to design a building to house the less fortunate inhabitants of the estates, an almshouse. Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:30:00 GMT http://www.parlington.co.uk/locations.lasso?process=9&subProcess=local7 The investigation into the history of an old house is a fascinating topic, with this new article we can discover a little of Aberford's history in the early part of the twentieth century. Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:30:00 GMT http://www.parlington.co.uk/artifacts.lasso?process=8&subProcess=art12 A look at a garden feature which was thought to have been lost in the mists of time, an analysis of the old stone fish fountain in the gardens since perhaps the eighteenth century. Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:45:00 +0100