Village of the Week: How a family feud fuelled castles and stately homes in Barnsley

Most of us would be lying if we said we weren’t in the least bit interested in a bit of idle village gossip. That is if the gossip is not about you and yours of course.

So, and in a world well before social media, television and radio broadcasts, imagine the glee that would have been gained in a secluded hamlet in South Yorkshire when two warring cousins ended up in a family feud.

Now, most amount to nothing more than a bit of dirty linen being aired in public and an awkward Christmas dinner – but this one resulted in a Gothic folly, a grand house and estate and a re-created Earldom title.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It is the stuff that makes good novels and indeed has provided the subject material for many books and publications over the years.

The remains of Stainborough Castle, Stainborough near Barnsley.
Picture Bruce Rollinson
27 May 2024The remains of Stainborough Castle, Stainborough near Barnsley.
Picture Bruce Rollinson
27 May 2024
The remains of Stainborough Castle, Stainborough near Barnsley. Picture Bruce Rollinson 27 May 2024

But for where this took place, it is easy missed if you don’t know this particular part of Barnsley very well.

Stainborough as we see it today is nestled between Dodworth, Pilley and Hood Green, which sounds like a bit of a mess when you look at a map, but prior to mass development, there wouldn’t have been much other than open countryside to separate them.

Authority-wise it is covered by Barnsley Council and the local parish council encompasses Stainborough and Hood Green, which is even more of a haven away from busy town life than Stainborough also surely is.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

For its residents, which are less than 400 in number, the close-knit way of life defines the community.

Traditional homes in Stainborough near Barnsley.Picture Bruce Rollinson27 May 2024Traditional homes in Stainborough near Barnsley.Picture Bruce Rollinson27 May 2024
Traditional homes in Stainborough near Barnsley.Picture Bruce Rollinson27 May 2024

The parish council is active and works to make sure those little touches that give certain villages that something ‘extra’ are maintained.

It keeps itself to itself, has the most charming character in appearance and in looking around at the buildings, homes and properties they all seem to absorb history.

Heritage is a key feature to Stainborough. There is so much of it – the parish contains 33 listed buildings – which is not bad when there are thought to be just 170 homes here.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Some of the listed buildings are farmhouses, farm buildings, the local pub The Strafford Arms, and a schoolroom converted into dwellings.

Steeple Lodge, Lowe lane, Stainborough near Barnsley.
Picture Bruce Rollinson
27 May 2024Steeple Lodge, Lowe lane, Stainborough near Barnsley.
Picture Bruce Rollinson
27 May 2024
Steeple Lodge, Lowe lane, Stainborough near Barnsley. Picture Bruce Rollinson 27 May 2024

The others are within the grounds of Wentworth Castle, which itself is Grade I listed and considered to be of “exceptional interest”.

It is feasible to say, with little other information available to reveal what life was like at Stainborough before-hand, that the key, if not then the starting point of village history, is the Wentworth Castle estate.

Not to be confused with Wentworth Woodhouse, which is eight miles away by road, the two are linked though.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In 1695, Thomas Wentworth expected to inherit the estate, land and vast wealth that came with Wentworth Woodhouse when the second Earl of Strafford died childless.

The Stafford Arms, Stainborough near Barnsley.
Picture Bruce Rollinson
27 May 2024The Stafford Arms, Stainborough near Barnsley.
Picture Bruce Rollinson
27 May 2024
The Stafford Arms, Stainborough near Barnsley. Picture Bruce Rollinson 27 May 2024

Much to his surprise, and anger, the estate was instead left to Thomas Wentworth’s cousin Thomas Watson.

Thomas Wentworth enjoyed a successful and esteemed career as a soldier, serving under King William III, but the feeling of resentment to his cousin lingered – and he wanted that title back.

In 1708, he bought what at the time was called Stainborough Castle. Over the years he had it re-modelled, re-developed and various buildings created within the extensive gardens and landscape in a bid to always be going one better than his cousin at Wentworth Woodhouse.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Queen Anne re-created the Earldom of Strafford and Thomas Wentworth became the first Earl Strafford of the second creation.

Next, he began to build a mock castle on the highest point of the estate which would probably have been visible at that time from Wentworth Woodhouse. He called this Stainborough Castle, and on its completion in 1731 he renamed the house and estate as Wentworth Castle.

Stainborough Castle is grade II listed and was designated in the 1960s for its features. It is believed to be one of the oldest surviving follies of its kind in the country.

Stainborough Park, Stainborough near Barnsley.
Picture Bruce Rollinson
27 May 2024Stainborough Park, Stainborough near Barnsley.
Picture Bruce Rollinson
27 May 2024
Stainborough Park, Stainborough near Barnsley. Picture Bruce Rollinson 27 May 2024

Other unusual features that ended up being built around the grounds were the Gun Room which probably originated as a banqueting house; a marble statue of the first Earl of Strafford; an obelisk, known as the Sun Monument, dedicated to English aristocrat Lady Mary Wortley Montagu and a Rotunda.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With all this going on, you wouldn’t be surprised that Wentworth Castle has some hidden histories too and you’ll find some in one of the most spectacular parts of the gardens.

Lady Lucy’s Walk is found in a long line of Lime Trees that were planted opposite each other around the time of 1920 to create a corridor once fully grown.

It is an incredibly atmospheric feature and is said to be haunted by Lucy, one of Thomas Wentworth’s daughters.

The story goes that she fell in love with one of the gardeners but due to the difference in their social standing, they couldn’t be together.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She died of a broken heart and her spirit has had a presence amongst the trees ever since.

Wentworth Castle, upon the death of Thomas Wentworth, passed down the family lines and in 1902 it was inherited by Captain Bruce Vernon-Wentworth who at the time was MP for Brighton.

He preferred his life down south it is said, so he sold a lot of the contents of the house and in 1949, sold the actual house to the Barnsley Corporation.

Wentworth Castle was used to house a residential teacher training college, the Wentworth Castle College of Education, until 1978.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

After this it fell into a state of vast disrepair and since then several millions have been spent on schemes and projects under different guises.

In 2019, a partnership between the National Trust, Northern College and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council saw Wentworth Castle and Gardens re-open with a programme of cultural and environmental events managed by Barnsley Museums.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1754
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice