115 ROTHLEY TEMPLE (ROTHLEY COURT HOTEL)
ENTRANCE ON WESTFIELD LANE, ROTHLEY
OS REF SK576123
View of Rothley Temple, now the Rothley Court Hotel, from Rothley Park. Chapel of the Knights Templar to the right of the main building. April 2005
Lord Macaulay was born at Rothley Temple in 1800. Created Baron Macaulay in 1857 he was renowned as an historian, essayist, politician, talker, man of letters and verse writer. He died in 1859.
Ancient Wellingtonia Tree 7 with a girth of 4.06m close to the main building. August 2002
Ancient Oak Tree 99 with a girth of 3.08m. To the side of the car park. August 2002
Ancient Sweet Chestnut Tree 562 with a girth of 3.7m. At the bottom of the main entrance. May 2006
Wellingtonia Tree from the rear gardens looking to Rothley Park. January 2002
Taken from the exit road looking to the old greenhouse and potting sheds. March 2002
Inside the walled garden now used privately to keep goats. March 2002
In February 2002 we looked at the old walled garden and saw the old espaliers still growing along the walls. It was being used privately for keeping goats and their pens took up most of the garden. It must have been lovely when the fruits trees, flowers and vegetables were flourishing. So sad to see it in such a state.
Old espalier in the walled garden. March 2005
Inside the old walled garden showing the old orchard and espaliers. March 2002
Inside the walled garden looking to the old greenhouse. March 2002
In February 2002 we looked at the walled garden and greenhouse and found it all very sadly neglected. The greenhouse had no glass but polythene sheeting kept out the worst of the weather. The vines in the greenhouse still looked strong (we saw in the summer that they still fruit), the staging is still there and the pipes for heating. It must have been a very productive greenhouse when it was used and cared for.
The old greenhouse still with heating pipes and staging. March 2002
The old vines still produce grapes. March 2002
Looking to the walled garden and greenhouse from the outside. March 2002
Old parkland post in the grounds by the Rothley Brook. March 2005
Old parkland railings along the main entrance drive. March 2005
Side view of the Chapel of the Knights Templar. July 2005
Rothley Brook runs along the boundary of Rothley Temple. March 2005
With the property being so close to the Rothley Brook there must have been a mill on the site but trying to discover its location is proving very difficult even with the aid of old maps. The area in front of these views gets very damp so was this part of the waterway?
Looking in the opposite direction. March 2005
Map of 1842
Map of 1729
Sales Particulars October 1893
For more details about documents relating to the sale please click on the following link:
The Rothley Court Hotel is shown on old maps as The Temple and still called that today when talking about its history. It was converted to a hotel in the 1970's but had also seen life as a Nursing Home. It has a lot of history attached to it as it was the birthplace of Lord Macaulay, William Wilberforce drafted his Abolition of Slavery Bill whilst a guest and Earl Kitchener planned his Egyptian Campaign here. There is a plaque to William Wilberforce in the grounds and the hotel sign used to show his portrait before taken over by Greene King in 2001.
For more information about the history of The Temple and Rothley Court Hotel please click on the following link:
For more information about the Templar Effigy please click on the following link
The buildings on the site are Listed. For more information please click on the following link
To celebrate the Silver Jubilee in 1977 the Pageant of Rothley was staged in the grounds of Rothley Court. To find out more please click on the following link:
To find out more about the Bicentenary Commemoration in Rothley and the Abolition of the Slave Trade 1807 please click on the following link:
Rothley Temple in the Olden Time by Eliza Conybeare is one of the Rothley Chronicles and more can be found by clicking on the following link:
Heritage Open Day was held in 2006 as part of the Civic Society weekend of events. To find out what we did in the grounds of Rothley Court Hotel and Chapel please click on the following link:
There is a Time Capsule set in a wall inside the Rothley Court so find out more by clicking on this link
If you would like to see old photographs of Rothley and the Temple you can find out what is available on the following link and also the link above, My Leicestershire Digital Archive:
SITE 115 ROTHLEY TEMPLE IN 2015
(SITE 115 ROTHLEY COURT HOTEL IN 2015)
Granite wall on Westfield Lane is part of the Walled Garden to The Temple. February 2015
The old greenhouse in the Walled Garden still survives. February 2015
Looking into the old Walled Garden from the gate by the old greenhouse. Still used to keep goats. February 2015
The old wall to the garden is in need of attention. February 2015
Looking from Rothley Brook to side of Rothley Court Hotel. February 2015
Rothley Park with Cricket Ground to the right. Looking to entrance to hotel from Westfield Lane. Ancient Sweet Chestnut Tree 562 still survives. February 2015
Front lawn to the hotel. Ancient Oak 100, the biggest ancient tree in Rothley, centre back inside Rothley Park.
The drive in from Westfield Lane. February 2015