That house “half as old as time” ….. and heaps of stories ...Kibworth Harcourt

This is the Old House in Kibworth Harcourt. 

The Old House, 2024

It dates from 1678 and along with its garden walls is a Grade 1 Listed Building.

I can think of only a few houses which have so caught my interest that I have to confess to being a tad envious of its residents.

"Half as old as time" and with great style, 2024

It stands on the corner of Albert Street and Main Street and consists of sixteen rooms with a large garden to the rear and side.

I went looking for its story and tracked some of its owners and occupants back to 1841 and on through the centuries to 1962.

They were a mix of the well to do, with a sprinkling of high-ranking soldiers including Brigadier – General James Lockhead Jack, DSO who lived there from 1924 till 1962. He is remembered by a green plaque on the side of the property along with Anna Letitia Barbauld “essayist poet and innovative children’s author”. 

She was born in the house in June 1743 and rightly has her own blue plaque located on the garden wall close to the front entrance.

And having trawled the historic records I also came across a fine description of  the Old House on a Kibworth site which describes both the house and some of its history through the centuries  from 1678 down to 2011.*

"The essayist, poet and innovative children's author"

It would be tempting just to “lift” the information but that would not be right, and instead if you want to read about the Parker family who purchased the land in 1609, and built two houses on the site, along with heaps of other residents I suggest you follow the link.

Afterall I could never better the research of Mr. Adams and it would be churlish to try.

So, instead I will fall back on a brief reflection of Kibworth Harcourt, which I first came across last year while looking for old picture postcards of Leicester.

There were only two, dated from the 1920s, but offered up one of those challenges to locate them in the village and tell some stories.

And as you do I found out lots.

Kibworth Harcourt was and still is a small village just 10 miles south of Leicester, with a population of 990, which has only doubled in a century.

"Elegance in the sunlight", 2024

Back in 1916 there were just 446 people with the usual list of tradesmen, and those linked to the land, but also a number who were engaged in the hosiery trade.  

To these can be added the 15 “posh people” who got their own listing in Kelly’s directory for 1916 including Col. Worthy Chaplain C.B., V.C., at Kibworth hall, and Major George Travers in the Old house.

It boasted three pubs and a beer seller and those hosiery frame knitters one of whom also ran the Admiral Nelson.

And without realizing it when we booked a small cottage on Main Street we would be in the heart of part of the village.

Added to which from the cottage we had fine views up the road to the Old House and the rest as they say is the story.

That wall, 2024

All of which leaves me to admit that each night we parked up beside that long garden wall and while we never got to see inside either the house or the garden our location let rip my historical imagination.

The long garden wall was an addition built in 1862 along with an extension at the rear of the house.

And while that wall maybe the baby of the property, its old enough for me marvel at its 2 meter height and its construction.

Location Kibworth Harcourt

Pictures; the Old House and its plaques, 2024, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

*THE OLD HOUSE KIBWORTH HARCOURT - part 1, David Adams, 2019, Kibworth Village, https://www.kibworthvillage.co.uk/museum/item/51-oldhouse.html

Lost in Kibworth ….. ten miles from Leicester ……..

Now I am not surprised that I have no idea where I am.

The picture postcard just says Leicester Road Kibworth, and despite wandering up and down the road today, I can’t get a fix on just where the picture was taken.

To be fair it comes from a series that Tuck and Son marketed in 1926 which gives plenty of scope for change.

But once I have located the row of houses, I have the census returns for 1901 through to 1921 and street directories lined up to help tell a story.

And Kibworth has come to fascinate me since I came across it a few days ago.

It was and still is a small village just 10 miles south of Leicester, with a population of 990, which has only doubled in a century.

Back in 1916 there were just 446 people with the usual list of tradesmen, and those linked to the land, but also a number who were engaged in the hosiery trade.  

To these can be added the 15 “posh people” who got their own listing in Kelly’s directory for 1916 including Col. Worthy Chaplain C.B., V.C., at Kibworth hall, and Major George Travers in the Old house.

It boasted three pubs and a beer seller and those hosiery frame knitters one of whom also ran the Admiral Nelson.

So, lots to find out and while the purists will point out it ain’t Leicester, its close enough to draw me in.

All I need to do is found out where I am. 

And that has been supplied by Ben who wrote, "Hi Andrew. My folks live just round the corner on Main St in Kibworth. This is the area around 63 Leicester Rd facing north towards the city of Leicester".

Location; somewhere in Kibworth

Picture; Leicester Road, 1926, from Tuck and Sons, courtesy of Tuck DB, https://tuckdbpostcards.org/, and Kelly’s Directory for Leicestershire, 1916

Kibworth wishes all tourists a safe onward journey to Leicester

 I don't have a date for when Tuck and Son added this picture to their postcard collection but it was being marketed by them in 1926.

My Wikipedia tells me "Kibworth is an area of the Harborough district of Leicestershire, that contains two civil parishes: the villages of Kibworth Beauchamp and Kibworth Harcourt. At the 2011 census, Kibworth Beauchamp had a population of 5,433 and Kibworth Harcourt 990. 

The villages are divided by the Midland Main Line. Kibworth is close to Foxton Locks, Market Harborough, and Leicester”.

The pub and the garage might well be the key.  

My edition of Kelly’s Directory for 1916 lists three pubs, the Admiral Nelson, run by a Harry Pywell Butteris, The Horse Shoe run by Thomas Taylor and the Rose and Crown whose landlord was Alfred Earp. And not to short change him Mr.   Francis Squires is listed as a beer seller.  Alas there is no reference to a garage but there were two wheelwrights one of whom was also a blacksmith owned by a Mrs Coleman.

To these can be added the usual trades from painter, baker, dress maker, chimney sweep, and plumber, as well coal agent, and butcher.  In total there were 25 commercial businesses  along with 15 private residents, including the impressive sounding Major George Travers, at the Old House.

And Mr.Frank John Loveday, Clerk to the Joint Burial Committee.

All of which might have been there in 1911 when the census was undertaken. To which the breaking news is that Mr and Mrs Butteris were there at the Admiral Nelson in 1911, which had seven rooms. He was from Liecester and she from Knighton and for 2o years noth are shown as living in Knighton.

But there is more, because Harry describes himslelf as "Inn keeper and wool warehouseman engaged in wool spinning", now that's a step back into the past!

I traveled north along the Leicester Road but couldn’t recognise the spot, but someone will.

Or as a tourist from even further north, have I got the wrong Kibworth, or just late by 80 years?

Suggestions on a period picture postcard or to Leicester Oldand New.**

And quick as a flash, Paul Cashmore suggested a possible answer to where the picture is located and I must say  he seems spot on with his suggestion.

It suggests 36 Leicester Road and it all fits so thank you Paul.

Leaving me just to also go back and look at the same spot, so two modern pictures and one very old one for the price of one blog story.

Picture; Leicester Road, undated from Tuck and Sons, courtesy of Tuck DB, https://tuckdbpostcards.org/ and 36 Leicester Road, courtesy of Paul Cashmore and again from Google maps, 2023

*Kibworth, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kibworth

** Leicester Old and New https://www.facebook.com/groups/483822492579736