History of Fox House

[Yerman]

Does anyone know the history of Fox House? Did it belong to the Fox family?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Grahame]

Does anyone know the history of Fox House? Did it belong to the Fox family?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

FOX HOUSE INN

Is one of the highest pubs in Yorkshire, at 1,132 foot above sea level. It was famous as a calling place for carrier carts and stagecoaches in the past, but equally so for illegally serving wagon drivers during "the small hours".

 

Originally called “The Travellers Rest” but later named after the Fox Family of Callow near Hathersage. In the 1840’s the Duke of Rutland’s agent extended the present inn, which was probably built around 1773. For many years a large bottom room at the inn used to be known as the “Duke’s Room” because sometimes he slept there with his young sons.

 

One of the attractions of the inn was an old panelled sideboard in the Duke’s room made from black Spanish Oak and held together with wooden pegs. Another feature was the stuffed head of a bull killed in 1886 and presented to the Duke.

 

One snowy night at closing time a Stoney Middleton man set off home from the inn obviously less than sober. The next morning he was found in a garden opposite, covered in snow but miraculously still alive. He was thawed out and given a meal and then went home without any ill effects from his night in the snow.

 

I was talking to the father of the landlord who was retired at this time, I'm going back over 40 years now, and he had a hobby where he took a block of gritstone and hollowed it out so the walls were less than half an inch thick. Then he carved the shape of an owl in the four sides and fitted a light bulb in the top. They made excellent outside lights.

 

[jomarch]

What a shame this lovely place has sold out to a chain and lost all its character

[hillsbro]

There are some fine old photos of Fox House Inn on picturesheffield.com - here is a sample:

 

http://www.picturesheffield.co.uk/cgi-bin/zoom.pl?picture=http://www.picturesheffield.com/jpgh/s15288.jpg

 

The old coach road from Sheffield to Buxton passed by the inn - part of this is the "Houndkirk Road" (built in the 1750s) that runs south-westerly from Ringinglow and joins the A625 just above Fox House. It’s a lovely walk on a nice day - not that we've had many of those lately…

[algy]

It's believed the Inn could date from the 18th century, and the Fox connection was as Grahame said, after the Fox family, in particular a Mr George Fox, who was reputed to have built a shepherd's cottage on the site in 1773. Admittedly my brain's going soft, but I seem to remember reading that the original building was erected by the Duke as overspill accommodation for his shooting parties at Longshaw. Does that ring a bell with anyone?

[Grahame]

This doesn't help you but it adds a bit of background.

 

Longshaw Lodge was built as a shooting box by the then Duke of Rutland for use when he was visiting his shooting estate. This covered not just the area known as the Longshaw Estate today but large areas of moorland reaching up to Burbage and Ringinglow in the north, to Birchen Edge and Gardom's Edge in the south. It is this aspect of the estate's history which is probably best known today, although it does only account for approximately one of many centuries of land use in the area.

 

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-longshawestate/w-longshawestate-history.htm

 

The Longshaw sheep Dog Trials at Longshaw Pastures on the Grindleford/Sheffield Road began through an argument at the inn. Shepherds and farmers were discussing who had the best dog and decided to settle it by holding a trial, with a pig and a sheep as prizes, on “Timothy Field” near Longshaw Lodge gates. The first official trial was held in 1898, though local farmers and shepherds held their own contests for several years before this. They have been held every year since, with the exception of the years covering the two world wars, and claim to be the oldest continuous sheep dog trials in the country.