Temple Newsam Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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A pleasant walk in the grounds of Temple Newsam House. Parking is
readily available. We suggest looking for our nearby cache 'Tracks
of the Templars' GCD205
The early history of the area is very unclear. "Grim's Dyke", which
is an earthbank and ditch on the eastern edge of the estate, was
possibly constructed as a defence or boundary line and has been
dated to around 1000BC. The Dyke extends north and southwards from
the estate a distance of about ten miles. Aerial photographs of an
area nearby between Bullerthorpe Lane and the M1 have shown crop
marks depicting a Romano British square enclosure, believed to be a
farm. This is in an area which has been known as Castle Hill for
over 150 years. The first positive mention of the area comes in the
Doomsday Book with "Neuhusum" which is believed to refer to the
present Newsam Green. Colton as "Coletun" also is mentioned as
having farmland, but of little value, held by Gospatric. After this
time, the information becomes more definite. In 1155 the "Knights
Templars" were granted land by William de Villiers in the Aire
Valley to the south of the present estate to found a chapel and a
farm (Preceptory). From here they were to have control of the area
of Halton, Skelton, Colton and Newsam. Early in the 1300's the
Knights Templars were considered to be too powerful and a threat to
the realm and their lands, etc., were confiscated by the Crown. The
manor of Temple Newsam was granted to John D'Arcie. Constable of
the Tower of London, in 1337, who was allowed to empark the lands.
He was granted "free warren" (hunting rights) in 1345 and in 1488,
forty more acres of the estate were enclosed and eight households
were evicted with the changing of the farming from arable to
pasture. This may be the reason for the demise of "Coletun" which
today is only evident as a deserted medieval village with house
platforms and also for the ancient "ridge and furrow" system of
cropping which is still visible in the fields around the present
day village of Colton. The last of the Darcy line to occupy Temple
Newsam was Thomas, Lord Darcy, who built the first house in about
1520. He later took part in the Pilgrimage of Grace for which he
was found guilty of Treason and executed in 1537. His lands were
confiscated by the Crown. The Estate was then given to the Earl of
Lennox whose son, (the infamous Lord Darnley) married Mary Queen of
Scots, in 1565. In 1603 Temple Newsam was inherited by the second
Duke of Lennox, who enlarged the park by enclosing a further 285
acres for use as a Deer Park and pasture. His extravagant lifestyle
forced him to sell the Estate in 1622. It was then purchased by a
prosperous London merchant Sir Arthur Ingram. The Estate then
stayed with his decendants until it was sold to Leeds Corporation
by Lord Halifax in 1922. Sir Arthur Ingram demolished the old
four-sided house (except for the west wing) and built a new house
with courtyard open on the east side (as it is today). Over the
years the landscape of the Estate was developed and changed, first
by York architect William Etty and later by "Capability Brown".
Streams were diverted, small lakes created, avenues and trees
planted to form the rolling landscape which had become fashionable
at the time. In later years coal was found on the Estate and
bellpits were dug to win the coal from the earth. In more recent
times a pithead was built to access the deep mined coal and clumps
of trees were planted to hide the winding gear from the windows of
the house. More recently still, in 1943 to 1948 much of the Estate
was devastated by opencast mining for coal. Now though, fifty years
on, Temple Newsam has once again become a place of rural charm.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gur pnpur vf uvqqra haqre gur Fbhgu Jrfg pbeare bs gur oevqtr.