Wednesday 30th April 2025 proved to be a very emotional day for the staff – and many of the visitors – on what was the last open day at Belgrave Hall. To many people, memories of visits on school trips and family outings to Belgrave Hall are fondly remembered and its closure will only heighten those memories.
For the past three years, from April to September, the Belgrave Heritage Trust were given the use of the “Old Laundry Room” to put on displays of photographs and items relating to the history and heritage of Belgrave right in the heart of “Old Belgrave”. The display was open every Wednesday afternoon and the first weekend of the month, with volunteers from the Trust on hand to talk to visitors about the displays. Not only did the volunteers meet people who had never visited Belgrave Hall (or even Belgrave itself) but they were able to discuss the many memories of the people who made those visits on a school trip or day out.
One display in particular – the wedding-themed display – proved very popular; many of the visitors who were married at St. Peter’s shared their wedding photographs for the display, and, combined with the Trust’ own archive of photographs and two original wedding dresses – from the 1900’s and 1950’s – the display catalogued the changes in fashion from the late 1800’s to the modern day. Each photograph was documented with the wedding date and as many of the the names of the Bride and Groom and their guests as could be found, and many of the visitors recognised family members in the photographs.
On a few Wednesdays there were more volunteers that visitors, but over the whole period a significant number of people visited the displays and the Trustees and volunteers feel that the time spent in arranging and manning the displays in those three years was a significant contribution to the visitor experience.
The Trustees would like to thank the staff at Belgrave Hall for their support and encouragement over the past three years, the volunteers that have supported the display at the Hall and all of the visitors, especially those who were able to share their memories of their life in Belgrave. Combined with (at the time of writing) an unknown future for Belgrave Hall, St. Peter’s and the privately-owned Belgrave House, the Belgrave Conservation Area is facing a very difficult future – much to the disappointment of many people.
Despite the loss of the “Old Laundry” as a venue, the Trust will still be holding talks at Cross Corners on a regular basis – see the calendar of events at https://belgraveheritagetrust.org/blog/speakers-for-2025/