Name: Seasonal complimentary guided tours of Belgrave Hall
Start: 2025-04-06T11:30:00+01:00
End: 2025-04-06T12:30:00+01:00
Location: Belgrave Hall

Seasonal complimentary guided tours of Belgrave Hall

Short History of Belgrave Hall
Belgrave Hall was built in 1709 as a family home for Edmund and Ann Cradock. Sadly, both passed away just two years after its completion. Over the following centuries, the Hall changed hands a few times, with notable ownerships including the Simons family for 45 years, the Vann family for 78 years, the Ellis family for 76 years, and Thomas Morley for 13 years.
At the front of the Hall, two acres of gardens are open to the public on Wednesdays and the first full weekend of each month during the summer season (April to September).
Originally designed by John Ellis in 1850, these gardens feature formal landscaping, walled kitchen gardens, and glasshouses. Additionally, former outbuildings have been repurposed into craft workshops, enriching the site’s historical and cultural experience.
The formal gardens showcase statues and monuments sourced from historically significant yet now-lost Leicestershire gardens. Among these is the memorial to Edward Holdsworth from Gopsall Hall. Of an original collection of 16 statues, only four remain, having been acquired by the Vann family some time before 1790. These statues appear to be a diverse collection of mythological subjects, originally purchased in Italy by Colonel Hewitt of Stretton Hall and later obtained from his estate by the Vann family.
Of the four remaining statues, two are located in the formal gardens and may correspond to Throsby’s descriptions of Ceres and Hercules. The other two, situated within the former gates to Belgrave House - now part of Belgrave Gardens - are both representations of the Greek god Telamon. However, they may also be the statues Throsby referred to as the two Emperors.
John Ellis acquired Belgrave Hall in 1847 at the age of 58, accompanied by his wife and seven daughters. A prominent figure in railway development, he played a crucial role in persuading George Stephenson to undertake the construction of a railway line from Leicester to the Swannington coalfields, which was completed in 1833.
A committed Quaker and social reformer, Ellis was elected as a town councillor in 1836 and attended the World's Anti-Slavery Convention in 1840. By 1845, as a director of the Midland Railway, he had overseen its merger with the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway. In 1849, he was appointed chairman of the Midland Railway and served as a Member of Parliament for Leicester from 1848 to 1852. Following his death in 1862, his wife and five of his daughters remained at Belgrave Hall.
The 'Belgrave sisters' were prominent figures in various Leicester institutions and frequently hosted literary and social gatherings at Belgrave Hall. Actively supporting the suffragette movement, Charlotte Ellis served on the 'Leicester Board of Guardians' for nine years, overseeing the administration of the town's poor law relief from 1892. The sisters also placed immense importance on the preservation and appreciation of the Hall’s gardens and grounds.
For over sixty years, the Belgrave Garden provided a unique and cherished source of enjoyment for all those associated with the Belgrave home. The Ellis sisters were regarded as, "public spirited citizens,” deeply respected and admired within both Belgrave and Leicester. Their home was recognised as a centre of culture and refinement. Margaret, the last surviving daughter, passed away in 1923, marking 76 since the family’s arrival.
Explore more of the history of the buildings and the families who resided there.
Complimentary guided tours are available on the following dates for 2025:
Sunday 6th April
Wednesday 30th April
Saturday 3rd May
Wednesday 14th May
Wednesday 21st May
Wednesday 4th June
Wednesday 11th June
Saturday 5th July
Sunday 6th July
Wednesday 9th July
Wednesday 16th July
Saturday 2nd August
Sunday 3rd August
Wednesday 24th September
Tour Times:
11:30am, 1pm and 2:30pm.
To Book: www.leicestermuseums.org