Clifton Hall, Nottingham
Encyclopedia
Clifton Hall is a country house in the village of Clifton, Nottinghamshire
. As well as being a Grade I listed building, the hall is part of the Clifton Village
Conservation Area. While the history of the place stretches back to the 11th century, the hall was remodelled in the late 18th century in a Georgian
style. It was owned by the Clifton family, Lords of the Manor of Clifton, from the late 13th century to the mid-20th century. In 2008, the hall rose to tabloid prominence when it was reported that its millionaire owner and his family had left the house because they believed it was haunted. It was repossessed and is currently on the market for £2.75m.
The manor of Clifton was noted in the 11th century in the Domesday Survey. Clifton Hall is on top of a cliff on the edge of the village of Clifton, overlooking the River Trent
, probably because the site was easily defensible. In the 13th century, the hall came into the ownership of the Clifton family. The Clifton family had arrived in the area in the 11th century and took their name from the village of Clifton where they settled. In the late 13th century, Gervase de Clifton bought the manors
of Clifton and Wilford
in Nottingham and the family became Lords of the Manor
. The original form of Clifton Hall was that of a fortified tower house
, designed for defence as well as habitation.
Charles I
stayed at Clifton Hall in 1632 as a guest of Sir Gervase Clifton, 1st Baronet
, the first of the Clifton Baronets
, who prepared for the royal visit by extending his stables, to designs by John Smythson, son of the renowned Jacobean architect Robert Smythson
; other works may have been undertaken at the same time, but none remain. The hall was three stories
high. Clifton Grove, a 2 miles (3.2 km) long double avenue of elm
s running alongside the River Trent to Wilford, was probably planted by Sir Gervase Clifton, 6th Baronet
in the late 17th century. Clifton was well known in the 19th century for its grassy terraces and the grove.
1750 was retained during the rebuilding. While the south wing of the hall is Carr's work, the north wing is of a later date. The north wing was probably used by servants as quarters and a working area, while the owners would have resided in the south wing. Banker and philanthropist stay at the hall lived in the hall in about 1825.
In 1896 Sir Hervey Juckes Lloyd Bruce, 4th Baronet
(1843–1919) succeeded a cousin, Henry Robert Clifton
, to part of the Clifton estates. The early Bruce years at Clifton are recalled in Henry James Bruce
's book Silken Dalliance (1946).
Lieutenant Colonel Peter Thomas Clifton began in the 1940s to sell off the remainder of the Clifton family estates. There is a local legend that a portrait in the hall of the colonel on horseback was originally intended to be one of his daughter, but was changed when she died in a riding accident in Clifton Grove while it was being painted. The story is however untrue as both of the colonel's daughters outlived the colonel and later married. In 1947, 944 acres (382 ha) (3,820,000sqm) of the family's land in Clifton was sold and an auction of the contents of Clifton Hall was held in 1953. Peter Thomas Clifton sold Clifton Hall and the remains of the estate in 1958, ending a period of 700 years where the family had owned the house.
, then Trent Polytechnic, then used the hall until 2002. It was sold to a private buyer, Chek Whyte
, in the early 2000s who built houses on the grounds and converted Clifton Hall into two luxury apartments. Fourteen houses were built to the south east of the hall, Anwar Rashid bought the house in January 2007 and made an application to Nottingham City Council for permission to host weddings; however in May 2007, the council denied planning permission to hold civil ceremonies and partnerships, conferences, training courses, or media events. Anwar moved out after eight months, claiming Clifton Hall was haunted.
. Thirty-two-year-old Rashid and his family – consisting of his 25-year-old wife, three daughters, and a son – moved into the hall the same month as they bought the place. From the first day in the house, they allegedly experienced paranormal
activity, leading them to believe that Clifton Hall was haunted. On the first evening they spent in the house, there was a knocking on the wall and they heard a voice say "is anyone there?", however they did not find anyone making the noises. Rashid said "The day we moved in we had our first experience. We sat down in the evening to relax and there was a knock on the wall. We heard this, 'Hello, is anyone there'? We ignored it the first time but two minutes later we heard the man's voice again. I got up to have a look but the doors were locked and the windows were closed." On another occasion Nabila, Anwar Rashid's wife, thought she saw her eldest daughter watching television downstairs at 5 am, however when she checked in her daughter's room, Nabila discovered her daughter was still in bed. Eventually, the family's friends refused to go round to the house.
Eager to get rid of the ghosts the family believed were haunting them, they invited Ashfield Paranormal Investigation Network to investigate the hall. The investigators were unable to stop the haunting and the leader of the group said "Clifton Hall is the only place where I've ever really been scared, even in the light. It's just got a really eerie feeling about it". When drops of blood were found on the baby's quilt of their 18-month-old son, the family decided to leave. Rashid said "When we found red blood spots on the baby's quilt, that was the day my wife said she'd had enough. We didn't even stay that night". After spending eight months in Clifton Hall, the family moved out of the house in August 2007. They stopped paying the mortgage in January 2008 and, on the 18 September 2008, the Yorkshire Bank
reclaimed the property. Speaking of his experience in Clifton Hall, Rashid said "When people used to tell me about ghosts, I would never believe them and would say 'whatever'. But I would have to tell any new owner that it was haunted having experienced it".
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. As well as being a Grade I listed building, the hall is part of the Clifton Village
Clifton Village, Nottinghamshire
Clifton Village is a small community of approximately two hundred homes to the south of Nottingham, England. Visitors enter the village on a forked one-way system through the village green, linking houses to the A453 trunk road which runs to the M1 motorway in one direction and central Nottingham...
Conservation Area. While the history of the place stretches back to the 11th century, the hall was remodelled in the late 18th century in a Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
style. It was owned by the Clifton family, Lords of the Manor of Clifton, from the late 13th century to the mid-20th century. In 2008, the hall rose to tabloid prominence when it was reported that its millionaire owner and his family had left the house because they believed it was haunted. It was repossessed and is currently on the market for £2.75m.
Under the Clifton family
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
, probably because the site was easily defensible. In the 13th century, the hall came into the ownership of the Clifton family. The Clifton family had arrived in the area in the 11th century and took their name from the village of Clifton where they settled. In the late 13th century, Gervase de Clifton bought the manors
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Clifton and Wilford
Wilford
Wilford is a village close to the centre the city of Nottingham, UK, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been described as a semi-rural village in a city. The village is bounded to the north and west by the River Trent and to the east by the embankment of the now closed Great Central Railway...
in Nottingham and the family became Lords of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
. The original form of Clifton Hall was that of a fortified tower house
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
, designed for defence as well as habitation.
Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
stayed at Clifton Hall in 1632 as a guest of Sir Gervase Clifton, 1st Baronet
Sir Gervase Clifton, 1st Baronet
Sir Gervase Clifton, 1st Baronet , K.B. was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1614 and 1666. He supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War.-Political career:...
, the first of the Clifton Baronets
Clifton Baronets
Two unrelated Baronetcies have been created in the surname of Clifton.The Clifton Baronetcy, of Clifton in the County of Nottinghamshire, was created in the Baronetage of England on 22 May 1611 for Sir Gervas Clifton, of Clifton Hall, Nottingham...
, who prepared for the royal visit by extending his stables, to designs by John Smythson, son of the renowned Jacobean architect Robert Smythson
Robert Smythson
Robert Smythson was an English architect. Smythson designed a number of notable houses during the Elizabethan era. Little is known about his birth and upbringing—his first mention in historical records comes in 1556, when he was stonemason for the house at Longleat, built by Sir John Thynne...
; other works may have been undertaken at the same time, but none remain. The hall was three stories
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
high. Clifton Grove, a 2 miles (3.2 km) long double avenue of elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
s running alongside the River Trent to Wilford, was probably planted by Sir Gervase Clifton, 6th Baronet
Sir Gervase Clifton, 6th Baronet
Sir Gervase Clifton was 6th Baronet Clifton of Clifton, Nottinghamshire. and High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire from 1767 to 1768.-Family:Gervase was the only son of Sir Robert Clifton, 5th Baronet, and his second wife Judith...
in the late 17th century. Clifton was well known in the 19th century for its grassy terraces and the grove.
Rebuild
The house was largely rebuilt over a period of years, 1778–1797, for a later Sir Gervase Clifton, who employed the premier architect in the north of England John Carr of York. It was probably during the remodelling that the tower of the original tower house was demolished. The octagonal domed hall built by Sir Robert Clifton, which incorporated many of the old rooms of the house, c.Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1750 was retained during the rebuilding. While the south wing of the hall is Carr's work, the north wing is of a later date. The north wing was probably used by servants as quarters and a working area, while the owners would have resided in the south wing. Banker and philanthropist stay at the hall lived in the hall in about 1825.
In 1896 Sir Hervey Juckes Lloyd Bruce, 4th Baronet
Bruce Baronets
There have been four Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Bruce, two in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia and two in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom...
(1843–1919) succeeded a cousin, Henry Robert Clifton
Henry Robert Clifton
Henry Robert Clifton was High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire in 1875. Until he succeeded to the Clifton estates he was known as Henry Robert Markham.-Family:He was the only son of the Rev. Henry Spencer Markham , Rector of St...
, to part of the Clifton estates. The early Bruce years at Clifton are recalled in Henry James Bruce
Henry James Bruce
Henry James Bruce CMG MVO was a British diplomat and author. Nearing the end of a diplomatic career in the Austrian, German and Russian Empires, he married the ballerina Tamara Karsavina...
's book Silken Dalliance (1946).
Lieutenant Colonel Peter Thomas Clifton began in the 1940s to sell off the remainder of the Clifton family estates. There is a local legend that a portrait in the hall of the colonel on horseback was originally intended to be one of his daughter, but was changed when she died in a riding accident in Clifton Grove while it was being painted. The story is however untrue as both of the colonel's daughters outlived the colonel and later married. In 1947, 944 acres (382 ha) (3,820,000sqm) of the family's land in Clifton was sold and an auction of the contents of Clifton Hall was held in 1953. Peter Thomas Clifton sold Clifton Hall and the remains of the estate in 1958, ending a period of 700 years where the family had owned the house.
After the Clifton family
In 1958 the hall was opened as Clifton Hall Girls' Grammar School. It remained open until 1976. Nottingham Trent UniversityNottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University is a public teaching and research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as a new university in 1992 from the existing Trent Polytechnic , however it can trace its roots back to 1843 with the establishment of the Nottingham Government School of Design...
, then Trent Polytechnic, then used the hall until 2002. It was sold to a private buyer, Chek Whyte
Chek Whyte
Chek Whyte is a British property developer and businessman, living in Nottinghamshire.-Career:...
, in the early 2000s who built houses on the grounds and converted Clifton Hall into two luxury apartments. Fourteen houses were built to the south east of the hall, Anwar Rashid bought the house in January 2007 and made an application to Nottingham City Council for permission to host weddings; however in May 2007, the council denied planning permission to hold civil ceremonies and partnerships, conferences, training courses, or media events. Anwar moved out after eight months, claiming Clifton Hall was haunted.
Haunting
A reputation of Clifton Hall stretches back to at least the time when it was used as a school. Anwar Rashid, a businessman with a £25 million fortune and a portfolio of 26 properties, bought Clifton Hall in January 2007. The 52-room hall cost £3.6M and features 17 bedrooms, a private gym, a cinema, ten reception rooms, and ten bathrooms. Rashid made his fortune from a chain of nursing homes and a hotel in DubaiDubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
. Thirty-two-year-old Rashid and his family – consisting of his 25-year-old wife, three daughters, and a son – moved into the hall the same month as they bought the place. From the first day in the house, they allegedly experienced paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
activity, leading them to believe that Clifton Hall was haunted. On the first evening they spent in the house, there was a knocking on the wall and they heard a voice say "is anyone there?", however they did not find anyone making the noises. Rashid said "The day we moved in we had our first experience. We sat down in the evening to relax and there was a knock on the wall. We heard this, 'Hello, is anyone there'? We ignored it the first time but two minutes later we heard the man's voice again. I got up to have a look but the doors were locked and the windows were closed." On another occasion Nabila, Anwar Rashid's wife, thought she saw her eldest daughter watching television downstairs at 5 am, however when she checked in her daughter's room, Nabila discovered her daughter was still in bed. Eventually, the family's friends refused to go round to the house.
Eager to get rid of the ghosts the family believed were haunting them, they invited Ashfield Paranormal Investigation Network to investigate the hall. The investigators were unable to stop the haunting and the leader of the group said "Clifton Hall is the only place where I've ever really been scared, even in the light. It's just got a really eerie feeling about it". When drops of blood were found on the baby's quilt of their 18-month-old son, the family decided to leave. Rashid said "When we found red blood spots on the baby's quilt, that was the day my wife said she'd had enough. We didn't even stay that night". After spending eight months in Clifton Hall, the family moved out of the house in August 2007. They stopped paying the mortgage in January 2008 and, on the 18 September 2008, the Yorkshire Bank
Yorkshire Bank
Yorkshire Bank is a commercial bank in England and Wales, a division of Clydesdale Bank, which in turn is a subsidiary of National Australia Bank. It mostly operates in the North of England, especially in Yorkshire. In 2006 underlying profit rose 16.7 per cent to £454 million compared with a...
reclaimed the property. Speaking of his experience in Clifton Hall, Rashid said "When people used to tell me about ghosts, I would never believe them and would say 'whatever'. But I would have to tell any new owner that it was haunted having experienced it".