Why did the St.John family choose Bolingbroke?
When many people think of the name Henry Bolingbroke, the first character that comes to mind is John of Gaunt’s son Henry,...
Tracing the final resting place for Lydiard Park POWs
Looking at Lydiard Park's beautiful grounds and playing fields in 2023 it is hard to imagine they were once occupied by a...
The Elliot Woolford diaries - 1900
The turning of the year and the beginning of a new century appear to have made little impact on the establishment at Hook...
Satire and the St.John Family
The Lydiard Archives contain a number of satirical cartoons referring to members of the St John family. Satire uses humour,...
Lydiard’s Austrian Rose
Lady Johanna St John, wife of Sir Walter and one of the 17th century chatelaines of Lydiard Park, was famous for her...
Elliot Woolford’s Wedding.
In 1911 Elliot Woolford of Hook Farm attended the wedding of his future sister-in-law. He writes in his diary dated January...
The Case of the Coronation Hand-me-downs.
The portrait collection at Lydiard House contains two pairs of portraits that have intriguing similarities. The first pair...
Victorian Taxes
On April 24th 1889, Viscount Bolingbroke of Lydiard Park was issued with this licence to keep a carriage. The carriage had...
Francis King of West Blagrove Farm
In this month’s Living History article, Frances Bevan traces the story and complicated personal life of Francis King...
Woolford Diary – January 1923
On January 1, 1923 it was work as usual for Elliot Woolford with a trip to Swindon market and a delivery of 13 gallons...