Bayons Manor Tealby ~ Pictures and History
A day trip to Tealby saw me once again on the track of ruins - this time Bayons Manor. So often there is nothing left standing but in this case . . .
It felt like a mini adventure actually getting to the place and I’ve only recently recovered from the nettle stings and scratches but it was well worth it - well I think so - judge for yourself
Tealby is not only a beautiful village but also historic as well, mentioned in The Domesday Book. The original thatched manor house was once owned by Charles Tennyson, his son Charles Tennyson d’Eyncourt, the uncle of Alfred Lord Tennyson, inherited the estate and eventually built the impressive gothic pile. It took Charles about 7 years to build and it’s not quite as old as I first thought - construction dates to the mid 1800s.
Charles Tennyson d’Eyncourt, who was Member of Parliament for over 30 years, lived there until his death in 1861. His descendents remained there up until World War II when it was used for troops - finally being sold in 1944.
Such was the state of repair and general decay in 1960 it had to be demolished by the owner who bought the estate primarily for the farmland
Bayons Manor
It was quite staggering to see the original building and estate in subsequent prints etc and one can’t help but think what a gem has been lost yet again in Lincolnshire. It would surely have been quite a building for visitors and tourists - worthy of English Heritage perhaps ?
Possibly not historically but certainly not worthy of demolition.
Below is an early print done in 1852 - unimaginable now !
In Former Days of Glory
As you can see it was a fully moated house complete with impressive gatehouse. I did photograph what’s left of the moat and the gatehouse in the final picture below. The moat being just visible between the two trees on the right and what’s left standing to the left.
Lincolnshire’s Heritage !
I should point out that whilst there is a public footpath near the house the remains themselves are on private land and deep in overgrown woodland - no public access is allowed !
I am minded to wonder whether there was some kind of construction issue with the building as many of those building it sought to imitate are still standing despite being built very much earlier. Possibly it was a folly, quite literally, clearly massively expensive to build but possibly too expensive - maybe corners were cut - it would be interesting to know
The Moat and Gatehouse
I’m not sure whether one of Lincolnshire’s most celebrated residents, Alfred Tennyson Poet Laureate, ever stayed there. I understand his side of the family was far less grand and that there was possibly some friction between the two families.
But whatever that situation, it is a great tie in and once again a fantastic day out. Seeing that original engraving, which I did subsequently, puts the hole thing in perspective - just imagine not only the building but the area at the time - quite stunning.
Once again all pretty much on my doorstep
Fallen Masonry Yours
Indiana Rod
[edit] More pictures and information below
chris keyworth said,
July 31, 2009 @ 11:00 am
Here is a really interesting Myth for you rod, that is worth investigating, it is one i have had allot of fun with in the past. It is the Myth of the Caistor stone sack, there is quite a good story behind it which is worth telling, who knows maybe you will visit the exact spot as i have been assured that the sack is still there on the edge of the field.
chris
Rod said,
July 31, 2009 @ 5:48 pm
Hi Chris,
thanks for that - yet more gold dust - I was at Riby Gap yesterday and will be writing it up soon !
Many thanks
Rod
Mary said,
April 1, 2010 @ 10:37 am
I have come accross some old postcards of the interior of Bayons Manor Tealby, As I had never heard of it, it interested me, so I checked on Google and found your website, which I found fascinating. Do you have any pics of the rooms IE. Dining Hall, which was a museum at sometime/ small dining room/large drawing room/ billiard room.
They all look grandly furnished but there are no dates
Rod said,
April 1, 2010 @ 12:16 pm
Hi Mary,
thanks fo r the coment and welcome to the site - I don’t personally have any pictures of the interior I’m afraid.
It’s worth checking Google images though as there may be some kicking about
All the best
Rod
Rod said,
April 15, 2010 @ 6:53 pm
Bayons Manor Update:
Amelia Mathieson, a descendant of the Tennyson-d’Eyncourts of Bayons, very kindly sent in this photograph of a framed picture. It depicts Bayons Manor before her Great-Great grandfather built it into the 60 room castle.
As you can see it’s fantastic are we’re hugely grateful to Amelia for taking the time and trouble to share this with everybody
All the best
Rod
Chris Drakes said,
June 9, 2010 @ 6:58 pm
In 1944, the Bayons Manor Estate was purchased by Reginald William Drakes (1894-1969), who was my grandfather’s cousin. He was a local farmer, who bought it primarily for the farmland, as the house was already derelict and becoming dangerous. Sadly, due its dangerous condition, a subsequent owner had it demolished in 1964 by Thomas Walkley & Son Explosives Ltd. The yellow Lincolnshire stone, from which it was built, was used to make a road on the estate. Elton John’s songwriter Bernie Taupin living in a nearby cottage in Tealby and this was the origin of the song “Yellow Brick Road” - it was nothing to do with the Wizard of Oz. Please see my website for pictures and further information, including contact details. Kindest regards, Chris
Rod said,
June 9, 2010 @ 7:37 pm
Chris,
thanks for the fabulous comment and welcome to the site.
That’s fascinating and I’m sure those who are less interested in local history than myself will be taken by the Bernie Taupin / Elton John connection . . . was Yellow Brick Road really a title inspired by a road in Lincolnshire - what a fabulous thing !
Thanks and regards
Rod
Lester Wilson said,
July 1, 2010 @ 2:19 pm
My father rented the parkland of Bayons Manor for sheep and cattle between 1960-64 and I used to play in the ruins when we made our daily checks. Our family later [1973] moved to Tealby but I had no idea that any ruins remained. The moats and gatehouse were vividly intact in the early 60’s but the roof had collapsed and my father would not let me climb the stairway in the grand hall[!]
Many thanks for the information. Bernie Taupin would occasionally look after the sheep. I will look for other Tealby clues in his writings.
Rod said,
July 1, 2010 @ 7:37 pm
Lester,
many thanks indeed for taking the time to share that information - really do appreciate it and welcome to the site.
Hope to hear more from anybody and everybody out there
All the best
Rod
chris keyworth said,
July 1, 2010 @ 8:24 pm
there is a book out there called Tealby Gleanings, i have a copy at home cant remember who wrote it but its full of tales about the manor and surrounding area, i will copy some of it when i get back in a few weeks…
regards
chris
Jenni Hall said,
August 30, 2010 @ 1:31 pm
Fifty years ago, as a child, I visited Bayons Manor for a summer day out. In those days you went across a ford, down the hill in the village,and walked across an open field to get there. Parts of the house were still intact and it was possible to go up a wide stair case which went from the main entrance hall to a corridor which went to a round tower. Looking down you could see a part of the moat which was clogged up with yellow flag iris and water mint. At the bottom of the stairs was a massive stuffed bear about 8 feet high which eventually stood outside a pub some miles away. There was one very large room with a huge stone fireplace and a flagged floor. Bayons Manor made a great impression on me and I remeber it quite frequently as a place of exciting adventure and fantasy.
Rod said,
August 30, 2010 @ 5:41 pm
Hi Jenni,
thanks for taking the time to share your memories, much appreciated and welcome to the site.
All the best
Rod
Ian said,
October 14, 2010 @ 11:22 pm
Jenni,
You were braver or perhaps less obedient than I was. We were forbidden to go inside. I recall a big tree near the tennis courts which had a really good swingy branch and a balcony we always called the Romeo and Juliet balcony. Since it had an external staircase we were not technically disobeying our parents by going up it where we would declaim “Romeo, Romeo, where for art though … etc”. I still have a tile I took from the kitchen floor.
Kindest regards
Ian
Mike & Ruth said,
February 16, 2011 @ 12:45 pm
Rod,
We visited the manor this week, unaware that access was not permitted, so managed to see most of what’s still standing (being winter, much of the foliage was down).
I seemed to recall from my youth which was spent in the area that the Hall was meant to be one of the most haunted houses in Lincolnshire, but haven’t found any information on that. Is anyone aware of sitings etc?
Rod said,
February 16, 2011 @ 7:29 pm
M&R,
thanks for the commment and welcome to the site, it would be a great time to go with the foliage down a bit - it was pretty overgrown when I went.
I’ve not seen anything in my ghost related Lincolnshire books about the house that I recall but I’ll check them out
Kind regards
Rod
Deborah said,
April 10, 2011 @ 11:08 pm
Hi there, we live in the old Gardeners cottage to Bayons Manor and would be really keen to see any old post cards or drawings if any one can help?
Thanks for all the interesting info on this fantastic ruin that we have on our doorstep!
Deb
Rod said,
April 11, 2011 @ 8:20 am
Hi Deb,
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site - what a great place to live !
If I get any or anybody emails me any I shall put them on this page - hope this helps a little
Regards
Rod
Deborah said,
April 11, 2011 @ 9:12 pm
Great thanks Rod, we feel very lucky!
Chris Sergeant said,
May 9, 2011 @ 2:02 pm
I think there are a couple of pictures of the rooms at Bayons Manor in Tealby church porch.
Rod said,
May 10, 2011 @ 8:09 am
Chris,
many thanks for the interesting comment and welcome to the site - hope you’ll return
Regards
Rod
Rod said,
August 6, 2011 @ 9:37 am
Bayon’s Manor inside Update.
Large Drawing Room
Rod said,
September 4, 2011 @ 10:50 am
Picture Update:
As it used to look
The Drawbridge
Entrance to Bayon’s Park
Shirley Bork said,
September 21, 2011 @ 10:44 am
Prompted by seeing ‘Posession’ on TV the other night I looked up Bayons manor. What a wonder the internet is.
have always thought that Bayons manor was the inspiration for the novel on which the film was based. A.S.Byatt would be the same age as myself, possibly a student as well. Perhaps she visited the magical ruins and found the same things. In 1953 I was doing a holiday job in the area picking fruit, trying to earn my college fees. One weekend I went with friends, architecture students, to look for the old house. We got inside, looked round the huge rooms and I took some really poor photographs as the light was dim and the camera primitive. We climbed the staircase and found, on an upper corridor, a box room knee deep in old letters. We read some. They were rather dull possibly written from Bayons to someone away, a Tennyson d’Eyncourt ( could it have been someone fighting in the 14-18 war. Anyway they must have returned safely as there the letters were. We were too honest to steal them but spent ages reading.There were hundreds. I do hope they were rescued by the family before the place was sold and demolished. One thing I remember ( because I had to look it up ) was that the family had ” Put on ‘tableau vivants’ as an entertainment. It was all very Downton Abbey.
I remember feeling very cheated that the linenfold paneling on the walls was papier mache but as a design student I loved the wallpapers. The kind you can only get from Coles now as hand-blocked and fabulously expensive.
How I wish we had gone back to do more recording of what was there. Did no one ever do that. It is so sad. I’ll try and find my old photos, mainly of the fabulous stone fireplaces. Surely they were retrieved.
The house may not have been haunted,it has certainly haunted my memory ever since. I would be glad to hear that the letters were retrieved by the family and that some of it was saved. What vandals people are. Shirley
Shirley Bork said,
September 21, 2011 @ 11:18 am
Prompted by seeing ‘Posession’ on TV the other night I looked up Bayons manor. What a wonder the internet is.
I have always thought that Bayons manor was the inspiration for the novel on which the film was based. A.S.Byatt the writer would be the same age as myself, possibly a student as well. Perhaps she visited the magical ruins and found the same things. In 1953 I was doing a holiday job in the area picking fruit, trying to earn my college fees. One weekend I went with friends, architecture students, to look for the old house. We got inside, looked round the huge rooms and I took some really poor photographs as the light was dim and the camera primitive. We climbed the staircase and found, on an upper corridor, a box room knee deep in old letters. We read some. They were rather dull possibly written from Bayons to someone away,( a Tennyson d’Eyncourt … could it have been someone fighting in the 14-18 war) Anyway they must have returned safely as there the letters were. We were too honest to steal them but spent ages reading.There were hundreds. I do hope they were rescued by the family before the place was sold and demolished. One thing I remember ( because I had to look it up ) was that the family had ” Put on ‘tableau vivants’ as an entertainment. It was all very Downton Abbey.
I remember feeling very cheated that the linenfold paneling on the walls was papier mache but as a design student I loved the wallpapers. The kind you can only get from Coles now as hand-blocked and fabulously expensive.
How I wish we had gone back to do more recording of what was there. Did no one ever do that. It is so sad. I’ll try and find my old photos, mainly of the fabulous stone fireplaces. Surely they were retrieved.
The house may not have been haunted,it has certainly haunted my memory ever since. I would be glad to hear that the letters were retrieved by the family and that some of it was saved. What vandals people are. Shirley
Shirley Bork said,
September 21, 2011 @ 11:20 am
SORRY… only read the second comment. I tried to correct but it came printed twice
Rod said,
September 21, 2011 @ 4:05 pm
Shirley,
absolutely fascinating and many thanks for sharing - what an exerience to have had - the part with the letters is amazing !
Kind regards
Rod
Shirley Bork said,
September 22, 2011 @ 11:00 am
I looked up Tennyson D’Eyncourt and found that there are a LOTof letters in the archives relating to the family so perhaps they were all saved after all. When I have more time perhaps I will look them up but as I’m in Ireland it seems doubtful that it will be in person. I haven’t even time to read through the Rawdon Papers which concern my own family coming to Ireland from Yorkshire in the 17th century and held in Belfast. Anyway something for a rainy day
.Re the Tealby letters I have to find what war whoever they were written to ( I think it was Charles ) was fighting in. All this history………………..S
larry solari said,
October 21, 2011 @ 9:42 am
larry solari
2l/10/2011
I remember bayon’s manor from my early childhood,as a treat from my father’s firm,Northern Trawlers we had a day trip to the park at the manor, it was a warm sunny day we had a picnic on the field in front of the manor.when we had finished I recall that a group of us (no adults) went up to the manor and peered in through alarge window . on reflection it must have been a library, in the corner of the room an old man was dozing in a chair. It all looked calm, old and dusty suddenly the old man moved looked up, snarled and shook his fist . It’s a ghost was the in stant reaction from us kids and we ran away, thinking back that may have been the last family who lived there!or was it the start of the ghost rumours.the following year we were told that the manor was taboo as it was dangerous andthat it had been undermined ! by rabbits
Rod said,
October 21, 2011 @ 5:02 pm
Larry,
very interesting comment, many thanks and welcome to the site.
Would you be able to suggest a rough date, year wise, when you looked through the window ?
Best
Rod
History Hunter said,
October 21, 2011 @ 7:31 pm
My uncle has recently sent me a concise version of my maternal Grandfathers diaries that he kept from 1921 until his death in 1993. There are some amazing facts and happenings in his lifetime as you could probably imagine, given the timescale.
But the bit that got me excited, was that between 1927 and 1929 my grandfather worked at Bayon’s Manor as an electrician, while working for Northern Electrical. He was on the mighty wage of 1s1d per hour. After he had finished, it seems that the powers that be at BM had a word with his bosses at Northern Electrical, and got his wages upped to 1s6d per hour. This then enabled him to update his motorbike and bought a 1924 Raleigh 500cc Rudge m/c for £15. It seems he and his brother did a lot of biking, but then again back in 1929 petrol was 7.5 pence per GALLON!!!!!
Rod said,
October 22, 2011 @ 7:58 am
HH,
absolutely fascinating - you’ll lose hours going through that and what a great way to spend that time.
Best
Rod
larry solari said,
October 22, 2011 @ 10:01 am
hi rod,
In reply to your comment-the year would be about1951+-1year.
later on whilst still a teenager I often returned to BM on my pushbike when with friends we would go through the extensive cellars to our disappointment no bottles of booze. When climbing into the main house, the wing running upto the clock tower it was absolutely amazing. A long corridor on the left side
every door opened in to a bathroommost still had thier furniture complete with fittings-yes they did look like gold or highly polished brass but by laws of nature if brass they should have been corroded. The
doors on theright side were bedrooms some still had the odd bed or matteress strewn about. why was so much goods left did the owners just pck thier bags and walk away.time period abt 1956-59. imagine my
look of dismay when I took my to young sons to see the place
Rod said,
October 22, 2011 @ 5:04 pm
Larry,
many thanks indeed - that’s really very interesting indeed - it’s also what puzzles me - how come the ouse was not cleared ?
Really appreciate the time line
Regards,
Rod