Foxcroft Norton Lees

[duckweed]

Does anyone know about land called Foxcroft in Norton Lees. I have found a mention of such land in a court report in the time of James I which was in the possession of John Parker who I know owned Lees Hall and Cliffields. This place has got me stumped. Think the other names are involved is Barten or Barker and William Blythe of Norton Lees.

[Guest mgc]

Does anyone know about land called Foxcroft in Norton Lees. I have found a mention of such land in a court report in the time of James I which was in the possession of John Parker who I know owned Lees Hall and Cliffields. This place has got me stumped. Think the other names are involved is Barten or Barker and William Blythe of Norton Lees.

Hi Duckweed... I don't have specific info regarding Foxcroft, but I am sort of involved in a puzzlement relating to "Lees Hall" and a certain other large manison referred to as "Lees House." Whereas there exists quite a bit of knowledge and documentation (Picture Sheffield, for one), regarding Lees Hall, there is or appears to be, only one source, (Wikipedia), that stipulates the one-time existence of a "Lees House." According to Wikipedia, "Lees House" (a 22-room mansion) stood inside the triangle formed by Beverley's Road, Norton Lees Road, and Norton Lees Lane, i.e., in that portion of land between Meersbrook Park and St Paul's church...... However, there is also some rather authoritative information in the form of the Parish of St Paul's Magazine, 1969, that stipulates the one-time location of "Lees Hall" less than a mile (and maybe quite a bit less) toward Cat Lane. Here is the exact quote from the 1969 Magazine:

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Parish Church Magazine, 1969:

Lees Hall is now only a name at Norton. A visitor would have to search hard for evidence of its former location. There is Lees Hall Road, Less Hall Avenue and Lees Hall Place together comprising about 200 dwelling houses but the old hall was not built on the site of these properties.

To find the spot it is necessary to go down Lees Hall Avenue along the part formerly known as Kidnapper Lane on almost a parallel line with the Meersbrook, then pass through Coney Gree Wood and across the field. Straight ahead is the old site of Lees Hall. The last remaining outbuildings of the farm were demolished in 1965. Alongside is Cat Lane, probably deriving its name from "coed" meaning "wood", which crosses the Meersbrook lower down.

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The question I have is the seeming unliklihood that there would have been two large mansions similarly named: one called "Lees House" and the other "Lees Hall," both large enough to have been 22-rooms or more, both 18th century or older, both demolished at roughly the same time, and both standing considerably less than a mile apart, yet only one of them (Lees Hall) was profusely photographed..... and, as it happens, the 1969 Parish Magazine seems to intuitively allude to the confusion caused by all thouse similarly named roads criss-crossing the area. As far as "Coney Gree Wood" and "Kidnapper Lane" go, I have NO idea about where they are since they are colloquialisms. Cat Lane, however, does exist and is on the map.

Was there actually two them -- i.e., two similarly named and relatively closely constructed mansions, or has there been a confusion over time that resulted in the presumption of two?

Mike

[SteveHB]

Lees House.

1950's OS map.

Link to Flash Earth

Lees Hall.

1903

Flash Earth

[Guest mgc]

Well, that pretty much nails that question.

Thanks Steve!

Mike

[SteveHB]

Well, that pretty much nails that question.

Thanks Steve!

Mike

Lees House, Topic is continued here