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FAO; Nottinghamshire/South Yorkshire 'Mudders'

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Bush Tucker Man:
Lifted from a very good Follies site

joe90:
Ok so its a reply to an old post, but was up at the Welbeck College today. Whilst there i managed to have a good scout around, and found a gated tunnel leading away into the grounds from the back of the house, i also found the underground ball room and another tunnel disapering from the basement quarters out towards the colleges sports fields.

Unfortunantly the Welbeck estate has seen it fit to end the lease with the MOD and the college is now closing - future use of the buildings is unknown, it is sad to think that 50 years of MOD Occupation there is coming to an end.

The new college at Woodhouse Eves near Loughborough is to still be called Welbeck and is now also open to RAF and NAVY & MOD Engineers not just the Army.

Have a look
http://www.army.mod.uk/careers/welbeck/

Bush Tucker Man:
Thanks for that Joe, it'd be sad to see yet another part of our history go 'to the wall' & be neglected

joe90:
The MOD didnt really have a choice in the matter, as i understand it Welbeck estates had decided that the lease wouldn't be renewed. but on the other hand the new college facilities are state of the art, and purpose built for the job in hand, not old modified buildings as was the old welbeck college.

This new venture with TQ, InterserveFM, & MOD Estates will ensure that the new college is kept in the best condition for 28 years minimum contract, compared to the old college this will mean imense savings for the MOD.

It was estimated that last years maintenance budget for the original Welbeck (Small & response Maintenance excluding grounds maintenance & larger projects) was near on £1.5m.

Unfortunantly the history behind Welbeck doesnt count for much, when finance savings are taken into account.

Range Rover Blues:
Some of my pupils have played rugby against Welbeck college and I have friends who shoot on the grounds and know the family.  Apparently it's part of a very large estate that runs as far as Nottingham.
The college is relocating because there was no room to expand at Worksop and one of the two sites had to close.  You can cycle through the estate but I, like Bill Bryson, have been asked to leave by a man in uniform carrying a gun when I got a little 'lost'.  I used to cycle through most weekends on my way to Clumber.

The tunnels were built by a former occupant because he was disfigured and did not want to be seen, he would travel in his carriage to London without seeing the light of day.  Appparently he was eccentric and after his death the house was found to be empty appart from one room full of hat boxes.  The underground ballroom is supposed to be one of the biggest in England.

There are rumours it may be opened to the public when the college closes, but the family hardly need the money.

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