Haynes Park - Haynes Church End, Bedfordshire, UK - Pre-Victorian Historic Homes on Waymarking.com

The Park is first mentioned in 1312 as a manor of Hawnes. In 1327 it contained some 240 acres and the landowner complained that the deer were ravaging the estate. Due to the fact that the park was deemed worthless it was not enclosed. Today, the park covers 800 acres including parkland and woodland.

The mansion you can see today was built in 1720 with alterations made in 1790. The house was originally owned by the Carteret family and then was the home of Lord John Thynne. The Lord was kind to the village helping to establish a school and restoring the church. Villagers used to walk to Church End to the school via Park Palings, a rural walk through the fields with access from Plummers Lane.

A boarding school for girls was opened in Hawnes Park as Hawnes Girls School in 1929 and they occupied the mansion until 1975 when it folded two days before the new term. Clarendon School, an independent school since 1898, then took over the house as their original premises in Wales had been destroyed by fire. Sir Eric Robinson opened two new wings in 1978 at a cost of £131,250. After a few years Clarendon School went into liquidation in 1992 and the Indian mystic sect purchased the property. This is the Radha Soami Satsang Beas British Isles (RSSB). It is rumoured that it took just £1.00 from every member of this society to buy the estate for over £1,000,000. They have made considerable improvements to the house and estate and it is admirable to see them work together on activites around the grounds.

When the house was owned by the Clarendon School it was featured on 'Treasure Hunt' as Anneka Rice was filmed there on Series 4 in 1986. Up until 1992 there used to be a public walk from the wooded entrance opposite Northwood End Road to the neighbouring farm to Haynes Park, this has long since been a private driveway only.

Earliest Recorded Date of Construction: 01/01/1720 Additional Dates of Construction: 1790 - alterations made to the original construction 1929 - Hawnes Girls School opened 1975 - Clarendon School moves in 1992 - RSSB purchase the house Architectural Period/Style: Elizabethan Type of Building e.g. Country House, Stately Home, Manor: Stately Home Interesting Historical Facts or Connections: Once a house, then two schools and now home to the RSSB. Main Material of Construction: Stone Private/Public Access: Private Related Website: [Web Link] Rating: Architect (if known): Not listed Landscape Designer (if known): Not listed Listed Building Status (if applicable): Not listed Admission Fee (if applicable): Not Listed Opening Hours (if applicable): Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   11/07/2009 bill&ben visited it