Holmewood Hall History

The Wells Family Legacy

 

 

The present day Hall was built by the distinguished Wells family, which acquired the manor of Holme in 1752 . The Wells had made their fortune in shipbuilding as far back as the 16th century, and even get a mention in Samuel Pepys's Diary.

 

Although records are few and far between, it is believed there were two or three previous houses on the site before fire destroyed the 18th Century building, and William Wells (1818 - 1889) commissioned the present hall.

 

William Wells, the eldest surviving son of William and Lady Elizabeth Wells, inherited Holmewood Hall in 1826 from his father, a Captain in the Royal Navy. He also inherited the Redleaf estate in Kent from his great uncle William, a former Captain in the Honourable East India Company's naval service, and leading patron of the arts, many of whose paintings found their way to Holmewood. William Wells, a former Captain in the 1st Life Guards, was an agriculturist at heart. He was very active in the community as Liberal MP, first for Beverley, Yorks and later for Peterborough, High Sheriff of Huntingdonshire and President of the Royal Agricultural Society. He was also responsible for draining much of the fen land around Holme, and rebuilding the Hall to the designs of renowned Scottish architect William Young, who designed the War Office. The plans must have been quite something in their day because they featured extensively in 'The Architect' magazine in 1874. The Hall dates from that time and is a perfect example of Tudor Gothic revival building.

 

Although Wells was married in 1854 to Lady Louisa, daughter of the 9th Earl of Wemyss, he died childless in 1889. Holmewood Hall and its 6000 acre estate were bought for £72,000 by neighbouring landowner Lord de Ramsey, who in turn sold it to John Ashton Fielden in 1901.

 

 

 

 

The Feilden era & beyond

 

 

Fielden, the 'silent Squire' as villagers called him, was a strict and somewhat eccentric man with a passion for country sports. Respected rather than popular, he was also generous to a fault. In the First World War he donated £500,000 to the country and allowed his steam yacht to be used as a hospital ship. During WW2 he gave thousands more to buy four Spitfires, ambulances, munitions and hospital equipment to help the war effort. Although a handsome man, Fielden cut a lonely figure. He never married and died in 1942 leaving much of his estate to various hospital funds. This property was turned over to Crown Estates when the health service was nationalised. That wasn't the end of the story, however. After fifty years under Official Secrets wraps, an interesting twist came to light. The hall had played a crucial role during the war, as a secret headquarters for American intelligence in the training and supply of spies and munitions behind enemy lines. Holmewood Hall was bought by British Sugar in 1951, initially to serve as little more than a document warehouse. Fortunately, the house was not left to gather dust and became an agricultural research and development base for the company, before being fully restored to its former glory as a venue of true distinction.