One of the best-loved features of Leicestershire is Bradgate House, set in historic parkland that has been a Deer Park for the past nine hundred years. The House was built at the end of the fifteenth century by Sir Thomas Gray, Marquis of Dorset, and was almost complete by the time he died in 1501. Old and new materials were used in the construction that is mostly brick. Bricks were a new building material at that time and those used in the House's construction vary greatly in size, indicating the inexperience of those making the bricks which were probably manufactured near Cropston reservoir.
The Great Hall was at the centre of the House and an octagonal tower stood at each corner. With a household of approximately two hundred people there was once a comprehensive range of buildings including kitchens, chapel and bakery. Lady Jane Grey's tragic death often comes to mind as visitors walk around the ruins of her home, a feeling reinforced by the large number of pollarded oak trees in the park which, traditionally, were cut at the time of her execution as a sign of mourning.
Price £7.50 + Carriage for set of 4.
Others in the Leicestershire landmarks set:
Windmill near Morcott