As you drive from Dodworth to Birdwell via Stainborough on the back road - Rockley Bottom I think - on the right before Rockley Equestrian Centre is an obelisk. Does it commemorate anything?
Think it marks the boundary of the estates belonging to Wentworth Woodhouse and Wentworth Castle or something similar
Thanks 'ade' - that makes sense as I believe there was rivalry between the WW family and the WC family.
In memory of Queen Anne, made by masons from the Stainbrough Estate. Put up in 1734 by Thomas Watson Wentworth Earl Strafford (2nd Creation) of Wentworth Castle. The grovelling little ****..
The one just off Sheffield Road, Birdwell is the boundary marker between the 2 Wentworth Estates... Everything west being our lot, east t'other mob... Hoyland Law Stand being the final hunt lodge on the edge of Rockingham's land and my theory being it was also built as a spying spot, with the then new telescopes, on his rival at Stainborough. No coincidence either, that the Rockinghams or Fitwilliams built a pit just inside the border...
Hated each other. Watson Wentworth was due to to inherit the Estate around Wentworth, but was passed over by the 2nd Earl Strafford (1st creation) in favour of a more distant nephew who would later become the Marquess of Rockingham and built the big house here. Watson Wentworth in anger, then bought the Stainborough estate from the Bishops of York ( I think) built the house there and had the nerve to call it Wentworth Castle. Watson, unlike Rockingham was a royal arse kisser which got him recreated Earl of Strafford, the title had died with the 2nd Earl at Wentworth. They then engaged in a massive duel of building ever bigger houses and extravagant follies, which I think it's fair to say, the local lot here won hands down. Folk here, still call them 'the other lot'.. It's amazing history. 2nd Earl Rock was twice Prime Minister. His great Uncle, 1st Earl Strafford, was the right hand muscle of Charles 1st, through the Civil War and gave his life to Cromwell in a vain attempt to save the king. Silly sod...
Up near York I passed a cracking clock tower in a village , but it only had the clock face on three sides , apparently the village facing the blank side had refused to contribute to the cost....that taught em !!
I had to Google it to find out but it was Airmyn . Instead of following the fastest route on the sat nav , I had decided to take the shortest route which took me through some great little villages .
