HOME Page . . .
INDEX . . .
CONTACT US 
|
Bedford Lodge was originally a house in very extensive grounds. It was built circa 1820 for the sixth Duke of Bedford as his Newmarket
residence. Subsequently within the same small estate were Bedford House and Stables (and then including Bedford Cottage, now
Rockfield House), and the former Bedford Lodge Stables, now separately occupied as Highfield Stables, and Shalfleet Stables.
After the death of the seventh Duke in 1861 the estate was purchased by Sir Joseph Hawley, who sold it on to the Duke's former trainer, William Butler. Butler demolished the Lodge's original stabling and sold the Lodge to Joe Dawson who built the main range of stables adjoining it (now Highfield Stables) in 1864. After Dawson's death in 1880 the Lodge and stables were bought by the racehorse manager, Captain J.O. Machell (who had been at Bedford House and Stables since the 1860's). He extended the Lodge c.1885 to provide additional accommodation, including a saloon for boxing matches, for his lessee, George Alexander Baird, racehorse owner and gentleman jockey. After Baird's death in 1893 both the Lodge and stables were sold to the Earl of Derby and for him there were major additions 1904-5 by John Leslie. The house was converted to a hotel in 1947 (not licensed until 1949). The stables were re-named Shalfleet Stables, the major part in turn becoming Highfield Stables in 1963. In February 1974 planning application was submitted by Sharlroy Ltd to build a 3 storey extension to hold a further 42 apartments. This was withdrawn in 1978 27th October 1989 Gay Preston sold the Hotel for around £2.2 million to Barnham Broom Hotel Golf Club Limited. In February 1990 they announce plans for development, for which they already had planning permission. The new owners planned to add 52 bedrooms, a leisure and conference centre to the Hotel. This could employ another 100 staff. |
|
On 20th July 1994, motor racing star, Stirling Moss, opened the new £750,000 leisure centre which included a 15 metre swimming pool.
In 1997 planning permission was applied for to further extend the hotel, number of bedrooms and the leisure centre and gymnasium. This would add 24 more bedrooms to the existing 56. The plans were approved in August 1998. The hotel was by now was part of the Best Western Group click here to go to the Newmarket Shops website for more details click here to go to the Bedford Lodge own website
1970's
2019
2019 The Spa. Rockfield House, that was, in the background HOME Page . . .
INDEX . . .
CONTACT US  © text Tony Pringle under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. |
