Lords of the manor
In 1524 an Anthony Stydolf, a ward of Thomas Cromwell, inherited the manor of Thornby. In 1623 the manor passed from the Stydolfs to William Weltden, a churchwarden of Thornby and a rich and powerful attorney for the Duchy of Lancaster. William Weltden continued his work as an attorney for King James I, exchanging large sums of money for land across the north of England.
In 1665 the present Hall began to take shape. It was originally a small hunting lodge, comprising what is now the Tara Lounge and the rooms above.
Research is ongoing to date the building more accurately. Local history holds that Oliver Cromwell passed the night in bedroom 8 on the first floor before the battle of Naseby in 1645, which is at odds with the datestone near the kitchens.
The building
Thornby Hall is built and tiled from local sources using yellow Northamptonshire sandstone.
The original hall was a hunting lodge built in the late 17th Century, to which additions have been made at various times.
The manor passed from the Weltdens in the mid-1700s to the Roberts then to the Emertons, the Bishopps, to Sir James Pender and to Richard Bennett.
Some additions were made in the 19th Century, and extensive work was done in the 1920s. What is now the cafe boasts an impressive Georgian-style ceiling – which is in fact an imitation made in the 1900s.
The stable block, walled garden, and what is now the meditation hall were built around 1890. Our meditation hall was originally a billiards room!
Until the 20th Century, the entrance to the Hall was via a large circular driveway below what is now the cafe patio (see picture above). The courtyard and its towers are an addition from the 1920s.
The dining hall was built in the 1970s.
The Wills estate
In 1912 the Hall was sold to Arnold Stanscomb Wills (1877-1961) of the famous Wills cigarette manufacturing family of Bristol.
The hall was extensively remodelled in 1925 as evidenced by the lead drains around the building that can be seen with the date and elements of the Wills’ arms.
On the surround of the cafe fireplace another story-telling piece of heraldry can be seen, this time a shield divided into two parts with the left-hand side the Wills’ arms (sun and gryphons) and on the right-hand side a single rampant lion, which is traditionally the blue lion of the Lyon family of Strathmore. The connection came with the marriage in 1905 of Arnold S. Wills to Hilda Caroline Lyon, daughter of Edward Lyon. The Queen Mother (Bowes-Lyon) was of the same descent.
In 1970 his heir, Captain Arnold Cass Lycett Wills, rented the Hall to Dorothy Purdew OBE who opened Frimleyís Spa at the Hall.
In 1986 Arnold Wills sold the Hall to the Trust that ran Thornby School until 2016.
The grounds
Thornby Hall was first built as a hunting lodge in the 17th Century, at which time it had over 200 acres of land.
Most of this was sold off over the next two hundred years, leaving seventeen acres remaining today.
During the 19th Century, many exotic trees and plants were imported, and extensive landscaping was done – including moving the entire lake!
The lake is of particular historical interest, being a very early example of industrially-produced moulded concrete.
Preserving history
Thornby Hall was bought by Nagarjuna Kadampa Meditation Centre in 2017. We are privileged to have such a historic landmark and we are committed to preserving all its beauty.
We have already engaged in extensive work to restore the Stable block to its full Victorian charm.
