Castles, Caves and Canals - Great Britton

From the moment we entered the Great Hall at Thoresby Hall, former home of the Countess Manvers, and originally built for the 3rd Earl Manvers by the renowned architect of the day, Anthony Salvin; my eyes searched the faces of the resident guests for signs of Robin Hood and his fair lady- Maid Marian. Robin would of course be getting on in years (851 as a close estimate), but then so too were the multitude of resident guests who roamed freely throughout this majestic property. Surely if Robin and any of his merry men were to still frequent the stately mansions of Sherwood Forest, there could be no better place than Warner Hotel's magnificent restoration of this beautiful Victorian home.

But I jump ahead!

My visit to the County seat of Nottingham shire was the result of my search for a central destination that would allow me to explore the British countryside and still be close to relatives who live but one and a half hours away in Leeds. Thus we arrived at the door of our Canal Houseboat moored in the Nottingham Castle Marina.

Accommodation was not a problem.

You see I'm a 'timeshare' owner. In fact I own several of them!

Few people even in today's enlightened society are aware of the remarkable growth and development of the 'vacation ownership' industry, never mind the amazing value and variety of experiences available to today's 'timeshare owner'. Sorry, I digress - Our Houseboat and stay at Thoresby Hall were all the result of 'exchanging' weeks I own at American timeshares.

Thoresby Hall is, as I mentioned, part of the Warner Hotel Chain and at the time of my visit had an affiliation with one of the world's largest and most successful timeshare companies "Fairfield Communities Inc", now Wyndham, owners of Fairfield resorts could exchange their weeks for a visit to some of Warner's magnificent stately homes and castles. Unfortunately this opportunity no longer exists.

Likewise through the facilities of the world's largest timeshare exchange company - Resort Condominiums International (RCI) - one telephone call had me booked into a week on a canal Houseboat followed by three days cruising the Nottingham Canals in a 'Canaltime' Narrow barge converted to 5 star luxury.

The Drive from London's Heathrow airport in our Avis rent-a-car was a breeze.

Britain's motorways are exceptional (once you find your way out of the airport and on to them!)

We arrived at the Castle Marina late afternoon and were most cordially installed in our Houseboat. Though approximately the size of a 60ft R.V. our fully equipped 'boat' contained everything you would expect in a Luxury 5 star condominium; dishwasher, microwave, central heating, beautiful shower unit and sleeping accommodation for 4. Our dining room located in the bow of the boat offered a panoramic view of the marina and our maritime neighbors. Televisions in both Master bedroom and lounge kept us up to date with the latest news and our installed CD player and video added to our entertainment options. It proved the perfect base from which to explore some of Britain's most scenic countryside.

Nottingham itself boasts a host of attractions like the not to be missed 'Caves of Nottingham'. I'm a cave lover from way back and take every opportunity to explore them whenever the opportunity arises. Amongst my favorites are the magnificent Jenolan Caves in New South Wales, Australia; the incredible catacombs and tunnels that are found in the Rock of Gibraltar; The amazing salt mines located about one hours drive from Bogotá, Colombia, and now the most unique encounter of my cave exploring experiences - the 13th century "Caves of Nottingham".

Quite apart from the incredible contents and history of the caves, I'm quite sure that they are uniquely one of the only archeological attractions accessed through the portals of a modern shopping mall - the Broad Marsh Shopping Center, complete with undercover car parking.

These unique hand-carved sandstone caves date back to the 13th century and provide a detailed glimpse of life in the days of Oliver Twist and the Victorian slums; a walk beneath Drury Hill, one of the long since demolished oldest streets of this great city. The caves most recent use was as air-raid shelters during World War II. Over 500 high explosive bombs were dropped by the Germans on Nottingham during May 1941 alone! Staying safe underground, thanks to the network of caves, saved many people.

Thirty miles north of Nottingham just off highway A164, lies the sleepy village of Perlethorpe; the 50 some acres that surround Thoresby Hall, and part of some 12,000 acres originally owned by the Pierreport family.

Now one of Warner Hotels outstanding resorts - Thoresby Hall provides the ultimate historic all-inclusive holiday experience. This adult only resort will truly take your breath away. Warners have successfully combined the original atmosphere of this magnificent stately home with every conceivable modern convenience. As you recline in the luxurious splendor of the great Hall and listen to a live pianoforte you might cast your mind back to the days the house was first lived in. Records show there were 46 indoor servants and over 50 employed outside (gardeners ad grooms). Although most of the records of wages paid in 1871 have long since been lost, wages paid during the First World War in 1917 might give you some idea. The Butler - senior member of the household received a whopping $127.59 (85 pounds) per year! The housekeeper $75.00 per year. The second groom $42.00 and the houseman $21.00. Let me repeat just in case you missed it - these were yearly wages! The record shows that the hall had a staff of 24 male servants in that year of 1917.

Records do exist however for the rates and duty in 1871.

Rates for the Hall were $28.69 (Nineteen pounds, thirteen shillings and nine pence) plus house duty of $27.22. All transport was of course by horse drawn carriages and the cost of wages and feeding stuffs, etc was shown at $1,891.65 (One thousand, two hundred and sixty one pounds, ten shillings and two pence) which roughly translated today would equal at least $225,000.00.

To be able to re-live these magnificent times in the opulent surroundings that most of us only get to experience at the movies or on the History channel defies this writer's ability to convey in mere words. Thanks to a reported 97% occupancy rate and the magnificent staff of Warner's Hotels we may long be able to experience it for ourselves.
You can visit Warners Hotels hete:
http://www.warnerleisurehotels.co.uk/
You can learn more about the Canals of UK by following this link:
http://www.ukcanals.net
Enjoy you travels - Dr.Peter J. Shield PhD (http://pjshield.com)