Trentham Hall Estate Buildings

[Trekker]

Penylan Sue - I remember those shelters having stood and waited for a PMT bus to Stoke or Hanley many times.  Believe theyappeared about the time the OCTU (Arc-tually) Officer Cadet Training Unit was established in Trentham Park. As boys we enjoyed their obstacle course, some firmly believing they could become officers by fulfilling it. Trentham was a wonderful village to grow up in. Besides the speciall gardens, we had the hills, the streams, and woods in the park. I used to bike the Whitmore Road to the RN Transportation Depot in Clayton from my home on Stone Road. The main hangar of the Depot was laid out like the deck of an aircraft carrier.  Dozens of hatchways lined the walls, all overshadowed by what was considered the superstructure on an aircraft carrier.  The upper level served as offices.  Fitters, stores, painters and other  units occupied the main deck. Its prime mission was to restore all vehicular traffic for the RN and RM.  Yes, we even had tank recovery vehicles and Bren Gun Carriers.

[PenylanSue]

Thank you Trekker.  I don't remember the obstacle course in the park but I believe the huts are still in there somewhere.

I still think Trentham is a special place.
Thanks onece again for the reply, Sue

[VeraH]

In reply, yes you go though the courtyard pass the fountain which use to be the horse trough and continue and on the left yes there was a black and white house known as the Dairy house and as you state that is where the Arrowsmiths, and latter Alums use to live. If you went further up the drive there use to be a small cottage on the right with a double garage and then bearing to the left was a large bungalow which we all called the Dolls house. This was owned in the 1940-50, by Major Frazer MP for Stafford and Stone. In the bungalow a Miss Slin who was his housekeeper use to live alone when he was not present. The building had a very long corrider with I think 2 self contained suits and at the far end there was a round conservatory which was used by the Girl Guides before they moved into the gardens into the Brothie which was the Black and white Dolls house which has recently been rebuilt (smaller than it use to be) next to the new garden Centre. I went to infant school there as a child before going to the main school ( now demolished opposite what is now poachers cottage. on the A34)

[Trekker]

Sue - Believe all of the old quonsets were removed with the exception of some foundation bricks.  After the war, hundreds - maybe thousands - of displaced Polish men were located there. There were also quite a few Irish settling in on the slopes of the park hills.  Prior to that Gen. Charles DeGaulle visited Trentham to meet with the captured French Navy and members of a French Foreign Legion unit. King George VI accompanied him. A lot has changed. Unfortunately the iconic cluster of trees that crowned the tallest hill in the park suddenly vanished, leaving it bald.  They were a landmark, visible for miles around the park.

[myladyanmay]

Hello,

I know that you have been seeking help with the location of the Gas House in Park Drive, Trentham for sometime. I hope that I am not too late to answer your question, so forgive me if you already have all the answers.
When Trentham Hall was built in the 1830/40's a new form of lighting was installed - Gas. The British Gas Company had been operating in the Potteries since the 1820's, but their works in Etruria was too far away to serve Trentham Hall. So, in the early 1840's a private gas works was designed for Trentham Hall. The site of the new works was a quarry on the north side of the estate buildings. The quarry had originally supplied the stone for an earlier rebuilding of Trentham Hall and it now provided a ready-made enclosure for the gasometer and the cottage for the gas maker. Sadly, the building was demolished in the early 1990's. Fortunately, I have been taking photographs of the decline of the former estate for over 40 years. The first occupant as gas maker was Elijah Derbyshire who came from Worsley in Lancashire. Elijah ran the works for the next 35 years. The final gas maker was Charles Anderson, by 1891 the gasworks had been made redundant, because a mile to the north on the River Trent at Turbine Cottage, a turbine was installed to supply electricity to the Hall, although this was short-lived as the Hall became redundant and was consequently demolished in May 1911. Hope this is useful, if there is anything else that you need to know about the Trentham Estate of indeed, the Sutherland Family, then please feel free to ask. In the attached map, I have indicated all the relevant estate buildings.

[myladyanmay]

Hi, re turbine cottage I think this still stands also the turbine building and is now used as an MOT test center and garage.I would like information about the tunnel remains in the area just b/4 the junction of whitmore road and the A34 it is slowly being demolished what was its purpose thanks

[VeraH]

Re Tunnel remains by the A34, this is where the bridge use to be across the A34. It was known as the Bridge to Nowhere. This bridge was built 1946 with its railway station known as Trentham Park  linking it to Pool Dam in Newcastle and then link up with another Branch line to Knutton, but the scheme was never taken up. This line being the aborted branch line had a brick built underpass or culvert a few yards on the Handford side of the bridge. For some time after the opening of this branch line there was also an unstaffed halt at New Inn lane. It was on the branch line that the then Princes Elizabeth and now the Duke stayed over night in a railway carrage (unknown to many escept the Trentham Gardens estate Office)

[myladyanmay]

Thanks for that another gap filled! re Royalty and sidings I think I recall    Princes Margrets train standing at Madely station on her vists to keele uni. lots of police activty around the area also.

 Might I ask another question When  was the Roxy cinema demolished and the Rex And Rio closed thanks .

[VeraH]

I recall the Roxy Cinema demolished in Newcastle, I think it was early 60s and again the Rex and Rio Cinema's also in Newcastle, I think that was early 70s when Henry Whites store was demolished and Newcastle had a face lift. I am sorry I cannot be of more help as I have not lived in the midlands since the 70s