Visited on the Executed Queens Tour.
This manor was built by the fourth Earl of Shrewsbury in around 1510, although it is thought that some kind of lodge existed there from the 12th century. It was surrounded by a large deer park and was a hunting lodge or country retreat for the Earl. It is famous for being the place where Cardinal Wolsey stayed on his way to to London to stand trial and as the place where Mary Queen of Scots was kept under house arrest by the sixth Earl of Shrewsbury, George Talbot, and his wife, Bess of Hardwick.
The Ruins of Sheffield Manor Lodge as they looked in 1819
The remains of Sheffield Manor Lodge include the Grade II listed Turret House, parts of the kitchens and the long gallery. Following its appearance on series 2 of the BBC2 “Restoration” series in 2004, a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund was successful for £1.25 million. This has resulted in a new Discovery Centre, a revamped Turret House, landscaping and the restoration of the scheduled ancient monument.
On the day at Sheffield Manor Lodge, the group will have exclusive use of the Discovery centre, Turret House and Scheduled Ancient monument, a tour of the site focusing on Mary Queen of Scots’ imprisonment there and a workshop made up of different elements focusing on Mary Queen of Scots, her imprisonment, correspondence and portraits. Mary is said to haunt the Turret House.
You can find out more about the history of Sheffield Manor Lodge at its website – http://www.manorlodge.org.uk/history2
