Narborough Hall

Believed to date from 1596 this Elizabethan manor house was built by James Meade, a local landowner.

The property was first listed in 1952, but the following years saw a sad decline and culminated in a threat to demolish the house in the early 1970s.

Years of extensive renovation followed, much of the work being undertaken by Paul himself, and the Hall was brought back to its former glory.

Now run by Paul and Wendy’s daughter and son-in-law Sophie and Simon, the shop has grown in size and now occupies five rooms on the ground floor.

[4] When her father died in 1613 Ann inherited part of the Peckleton Estate and this was passed through successive generations of the Meade family until 1785.

Their son William Meade (1668–1714) who had married Susanna Floyer in 1699 inherited the house in 1712 when his father died.

[6] Elizabeth lived with her unmarried daughter Susanna Meade (1732–1783) at Narborough and became fairly wealthy and influential.

He was the eldest son of Thomas Pares (1716–1805) and Ann Norton who bought the family estate of Hopwell Hall.

[10] The couple went to live at Narborough Hall soon after their marriage and made numerous alterations to the house.

They also added a brick built entrance hall, featuring large stained glass windows and a mock Tudor belvedere.

[11] Samuel died in 1842 and in his Will he mentions this life interest in Narborough Hall given to them by his wife’s uncle.

Shortly before this separation Thomas took charge of the Narborough Estate when Mary Ann Miles died in 1846.

In the following year he came back for two of his daughters Harriette (called by her second name Emily) and Alice[15] and the family went to live in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

He died in 1873 and under the terms of the entail his younger sister Mary Tylston Pares (1826–1899) and his daughters by his first marriage became the coheirs of the Narborough Estate.

[20] There was however a problem as Thomas’s sister Mary had been declared mentally incompetent[21] and the case was delayed until 1879 when a decision by the High Court of Justice allowed the whole estate to be sold.