History of the Estate

A Jacobean Country House

Thornbridge was the seat of the Longsdon family from the 12th century until the late 18th century. In 1790 John Morewood, a linen merchant, bought the estate for £10,000, and enlarged the earlier house.

In 1871 Frederick Craven rebuilt the house entirely in Jacobean style, but the house as we see it today is the work of a Sheffield lawyer named George Marples. 
In 1896 Marples enlarged the house, to nearly it’s present form, and laid out the gardens. He bought up much of the surrounding land and employed many servants and gardeners, all of whom addressed him Lord Marples. He also built estate cottages, lodges, and even a private railway station, now Thornbridge Outdoors.

In 1930 Charles Boot, head of a Sheffield based building firm, bought the estate. Boot's company earned the contract to demolish the stately home of Clumber Park after that house was destroyed in a fire in 1938. Boot rescued a large number of statues, fountains, and building facades from Clumber and installed them at Thornbridge Hall.

In 1945, after Boots death, Sheffield City Council bought Thornbridge at auction for £42,000 with the intention to use it as a teacher training college. Building alterations were necessary to to put this into effect. In 1948 the first 60 student teachers began their studies. The final teacher training class was held in 1975, after that the Hall was used as a multi purpose Education Centre for South Yorkshire.

In 1997 the Hall was bought back into private ownership by the Hunt family, who started restoration work to the formal gardens and removed inappropriate additions to the house to reveal its proper proportions.

In 2002 the Hall was bought by the Harrison family. As a girl, Emma Harrison was chosen to represent Sheffield in a visit to its twin City Donetsk in the USSR era. This is how Emma first saw Thornbridge - accompanied by her youth worker Donna. Astonished that places like Thornbridge existed, Emma dreamt of sweeping down the staircase in a bright red dress. Her dream came true when Emma and her husband, Jim, purchased the house. Since then extensive work has taken place, as Thornbridge was in a right old pickle. The Harrisons made a commitment to add their layer of history to Thornbridge and return many of the features back to their former glory. Completed works include, the main house and all its rooms including the exquisite music room, the Carriage House, Gardeners Cottage, North Lodge, South Lodge, the rebuilding of the Orangery and extensive new building work to link the whole estate.

Remaining first and foremost a private family home, Thornbridge is also now recognised as one of the most exclusive and exciting venues for Events and Weddings in the country.

Book onto one of out House tours to find out more…