Doncaster Ramblers help out with carers’ walk around Lotherton Hall near Leeds

As part of the Stepping Out Initiative, Ramblers assisted on a visit to Lotherton Hall, near Aberford to the east of Leeds, for carers and some cared-for people.

David and Allen assisted with those who wanted to remain close to the house, visit the house and the zoo.

The ‘short-walkers’ set out from the stable yard and walked in from of the Hall, around the gardens, including the walled gardens, before going into the Hall and following the route around.

There has been a manor house on the site of the current Hall from at least 1775. The house at this time was owned by Thomas Maude, who had brought it from George Rhodes in 1753 for £4,115.

Ownership then passed through various people until Richard Gascoigne bought it in

1825. It became the main residence of the Gascoigne family after the death of Richard’s father Frederick at Parlington Hall in 1905.

The Hall is sited on part of the Gascoigne estate, and was presented to the City of Leeds in 1968 by Sir Alvary Gascoigne and his wife, last of the Gascoigne family, whose roots were at Parlington Hall.

The Hall and parkland were opened for public access by its new owners in 1969. The estate is home to an extensive collection of endangered bird species and a herd of red deer.

The Hall, which was extensively rebuilt during the Victorian and Edwardian eras, holds an art collection. This includes the Gascoigne Gift, given to the City of Leeds along with the Hall, which sits alongside Designated collections of fine art and decorative arts added to Hall since becoming a museum in 1968.

Neil and Steve accompanied the seven ‘long-walkers’ on a 2.25 mile walk, on footpaths, around the boundary of the estate. The walk took us through woods with a profusion of wild garlic in flower, past the orchard with trees in full blossom, and at various locations past wicker statues of an archer, a fox and a hare.

Good views were also had of the nearby windfarm. The route eventually led us to the hide by the deer park from which we viewed the parks herd of deer and the tadpoles in the pond adjacent to the hide. We returned to the start point in the car park via the house and the adjacent Norman chapel. A lovely lunch of soup, sandwiches and a scone was then served to us by the pleasant staff of the Lotherton Hall café.

Please visit the website https://www.doncasterramblers.org.uk/ for latest information,

including future activity. Also follow the group on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/doncasterramblers/ for details of past Rambler outings. Remember while out observe the Countryside Code and give way to other walkers.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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