Hello and welcome back to my blog 😊.
After a few days of yet more rain (when will we get a more settled period of weather I ask myself??) today is a rare dry day. Unfortunately, although we would have liked to have had a trip to the Peak District, morning commitments meant we had to stay put and so in the afternoon we decided to visit Dunham Massey – a local National Trust property close to Manchester that we regularly visit-for a 5 mile walk. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cheshire-greater-manchester/dunham-massey
We were hopeful that the park would be relatively quiet because Manchester United and Manchester City were playing in the FA Cup final at Wembley ( United won 2-1). It turned out that the park was quiet so that was a good call.
Myself and Angela had a walk around the park footpaths, looked at some deer and enjoyed the sun on our faces. It makes a world of difference having nice weather.
Angela suggested a walk around the gardens so we did that and admired all the wonderful shrubs and plants growing there.
‘Do you fancy a coffee?’ asked Angela. Most certainly, so we visited the café and relaxed outside with our coffees watching the world go by.
After coffee, a visit to the second hand books section was productive with myself buying three interesting books. I find that I am always lucky with finding good books here.
I have 2 peak District walks planned and I am hoping that the opportunity to do these will arise this week. The first is Alport Castles and the second Cubar Edge / Froggatt Edge. Fingers crossed for relatively dry days.
Happy Walking! 😊🚶♂️
My Walking Journeys 
4 responses to “Discovering Dunham Massey: National Trust Gem Near Manchester”
Lovely place for a walk. We went yesterday and the weather was perfect as well. Plenty of deers out 🙂 apparently they had nice open oven pizza place but we couldn’t find it. A nice alternative to the cafe 🙂
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Yes it’s a favourite spot of mine – especially first thing in the morning before the car park opens 😀
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Historical mystery at Dunham Massey.
In 1531, George Booth, 5th lord of Dunham Massey, willed to his son “my cheine of gold and my signet of gold as heire lomes.” His will further instructs that “aft his [son’s] decese ye same chene and signet to remene to suche as shalbe heres to ye sayd Georg and so to continue as an heire lome to suche as shalbe heires and lorde of Dunham for ev’more.” In 1579, the 7th Booth lord continued the tradition.
Sir George 8th Booth lord and 1st baronet of Dunham Massey must have received that heirloom, yet there is no more record of that gold chain and signet ring. There is, however, a ring tied the Sir Georges collar strings in one of his portraits hanging at Dunham Massey, with no explanation. Could it be that portrait memorializes the heirloom signet ring of the lords of Dunham forevermore that went missing?
Is it possible that missing heirloom reveals a scandalous truth? Did Sir George have a son and heir by his first wife, Jane Carrington? And if so, was that heir kidnapped with his heirloom? And never reported?!
One US family has an origin story, traceable to that time and place. That Singletary family tradition claims in detail that it happened and explains how and why.
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Thanks for the interesting historical information- I really need to visit the house again sometime 😀
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