For those who walk the picturesque route along Parlington Lane, you may have noticed that the lake which lies just beyond the Gamekeeper’s cottage, to the south east, has been emptied, to allow work to remove the build-up of sediment.
To ensure I had a record of the event I slipped along to take a few photos, which are available here. Whilst there I took some time to look at a pipe inlet which runs towards the Gamekeeper’s cottage, this was until work started, covered by a steel filter, which is shown in the collection of images associated with this post. I believe it was used for gas purification in the small gas works which stood adjacent to the cottage, the gas production was for Parlington Hall and probably ceased before or around the time the Hall was abandoned following the death of Col. F.C. Trench-Gascoigne in 1905.
Whilst looking round the lake, quite near to the pipe inlet I noted earlier, I was surprised to find a piece of marble protruding from the black mud. closer inspection revealed it to be a piece of blue/grey marble skirting the same as pieces found in the excavations of Parlington Hall, so it must have been thrown there years ago when the demolition was in progress. The value of masonry and the like was cast away with the demolition must have been substantial.