Rufford Abbey & Country Park
Rufford Abbey was a Cistercian house founded in 1146 by Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Lincoln. It was a daughter house of Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire. Rufford played a major part in the history of the church in Rotherham.
John de Vesci granted part of the Manor of Rotherham to the Abbots of Rufford who gained 8 oxgangs of land and the lordship of the manor. Rufford Abbey ended up owning half of Rotherham church (the other half belonged to the Abbey of Clairvaux), the market and the fair. Clairvaux later relinquished its rights in the advowson (the right to appoint the priest) for £20.
After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536 Rufford Abbey was granted to John Markham for 25 years and then became the property of George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury. Little is known of the history of the abbey at this time. I have found one version that states most of the monastic buildings were demolished and a hunting lodge built upon the site, and another that the monastery building were used occasionally by hunting parties. Whatever else I think it can be agreed that Rufford Abbey, situated conveniently in Sherwood Forest was very handy for hunting. George Talbot was the fourth husband of Bess of Hardwick, a redoubtable lady (she had to be to marry four times). Bess connived to marry off her granddaughter to Charles Stuart (brother of Lord Darnley and close in the line of inheritance to the English Crown): a celebration that took place at Rufford but earned Bess a spell in the Tower of London when Queen Elizabeth found out.
About 1590 the abbey passed by marriage into the hands of the Savile family who built a south wing about 1600. Both James I and Charles I stayed here to enjoy the hunting. The Saviles were Royalists and Rufford was concerned with many conspiracies during the Commonwealth period to restore Charles II.
In the late 1600s when the hall was owned by George Savile, Marquess of Halifax and minister to Charles II, James II and William III and Mary II. Most of the remains of the abbey were demolished and an impressive north wing with a fine long gallery was built on the site of the church. A large north wing, now called the Jacobean wing, was added.
In the eighteenth century trees were planted, a lake constructed, and a mill, canal and open air Bath House built.
In the 1840s an east wing, a Tudor style porch with approach steps and balustraded causeway, the clock tower and bell cupola was added by Anthony Salvin who also carried out much work on the gardens. A new stable block and brewhouse were built. The Bath House was transformed into an Orangery in the 1880s.
At the beginning of the Twentieth Century the house entertained guests in grand style, an occasional visitor being Edward VIII, who came for the shooting and Doncaster Races. The Savile family remained the owners until 1938. The property was bought by speculators who sold it off in lots and felled the timber. However they were refused permission to demolish the house. After many long years of negotiations Nottinghamshire County Council bought the house and the remains of the estate in 1951. Unfortunately they didn't do anything with it and the structure deteriorated to the point that about half had to be demolished for safety reasons. In 1969 the County Council decided to develop the park as a country park and renovations took place. Much damage caused by underground mining to both the house and the park, as well as causing leakage from the lake. This has been repaired and schemes are in place to prevent further decay.
All that is left of the abbey buildings are parts of the lay brothers' dormitory, refectory and undercroft, although the foundations of other buildings are marked out. Some of the later additions also remain. Surrounding the house is Rufford Country Park which includes the old coach house, stables, the restored Orangery, ice houses, a corn mill, a saw mill, a lake, a canal and gardens including the Savile family pet cemetery. Parking is free in the week and £1.50 (2004) weekends and bank holidays and school summer holidays. There are many events taking place through the summer - too many to mention here. There are gift shops and restaurants. There is a pleasant walk around the gardens and the lake - no more than a couple of miles and largely on the flat. Rufford Abbey and Country Park is a very, very popular place: they reckon at least 2000 visitors a day. It is a very pleasant place to visit.
This site is managed for English Heritage by Nottinghamshire County Council.