Vintage Riding Schools - Heather Hall

I’m attempting to break what has been a bit of a blogging drought by writing a series about riding schools. If you took Pony Magazine in the 1970s and before, you might remember an occasional feature it did called Round the Riding Schools. The sort of riding school that got itself featured here taught you to ride the right way, with instructors who were the backbone of the British equestrian establishment. Some of the schools featured in the article were very large indeed; others were minute. What many of them have in common, despite their size, is that they no longer exist.

As for the esteemed establishment that taught me to ride, I always hoped that it would feature, but it never did. It wasn’t on quite the same level that Pony Magazine establishments were. The instruction was variable to say the least. There was an ex-Army instructor called Ben, who didn’t last long after he made pupils stand on the ponies’ rumps and ride round facing backwards. Even in an earlier, less health and safety conscious age, this was a bit much for some parents and Ben soon left. My own parents were sublimely unbothered by this. As long as we arrived home in one bit, they did not care what we had got up to in the interim.

But questionable though my riding school was, it was all that was available, and so I stuck with it, uneasily aware that there was another, and a better, way. It was that better way that was on offer at the first riding school I’m featuring, Heather Hall Riding School, in Ibstock, Leicestershire.

Some of the riding schools in the Pony article had distinctly glamorous surroundings, and Heather Hall is right up there. It is a large, redbrick Grade II listed house, with a stable block so splendid that it is listed in its own right. The Hall was probably originally built as a farmhouse towards the end of the 18th century, together with the stable block, and it was enlarged at various points. For most of its history it was owned by the Goode family, and after a spell in the ownership of a clergyman and then an engineer at the beginning of the 20th century, it began its career as a riding stable.

Mrs MSM Kew, IIH (IIH stands for Instructor of the Institute of the Horse) set up her first riding school in Bristol. Cribbs Corner began life in 1939, a challenging time to start a riding school. The war saw restrictions on fodder and a falling off in clientele for many schools (Pamela MacGregor Morris’ hero in Blue Rosette finds the advent of war too much for his riding school). Mrs Kew survived, and when her husband, a lecturer in aircraft propulsion, moved to Loughborough University in 1948, she set up Heather Hall as a riding school. In its earliest years, Heather Hall was also run as a girls’ day and boarding school. Mrs Kew taught both riding and art, having studied art herself at the Slade. St Francis School catered for girls from the age of five, and promised:

...a sound intellectual training together with an appreciation of both town and country pursuits. A qualified staff prepares pupils for Common Entrance and General Certificate examinations. Classes are small. Each child receives individual attention both in the classroom and out of school hours. Special facilities for Riding and Hunting and for students for the examination of the British Horse Society. Inclusive fees:- 45-58 gns per term (boarders) 15-25 gns per term (day pupils).

It strikes me that the promised chance to experience town pursuits was somewhat limited in rural Leicestershire, but that in itself was not reason enough for St Francis to close. It was the introduction of the eleven plus exam, and increasing bureaucracy that saw the school’s closure.

The riding school, however, continued. In 1974, when the Pony article appeared, the school had expanded and now had four qualified instructors, including Nick Creaton, BHSI, now a chief examiner for the BHS, and a saddler. He was associated with Heather Hall from 1973 to 1989, and was chief instructor for much of that time.




The school had an excellent reputation, and has some famous alumni, including eventer Ronnie Durrand, and Di Lampard, now Performance Manger for Jumping for the senior British showjumping team.  Di’s earliest riding experiences were of the alarming sort, featuring a Shetland pony called Oscar, who enjoyed scraping his young rider off under trees. Di’s father decided that riding lessons would be safer, and at the age of six, Di started at Heather Hall. She was taught by Mrs Kew, who she described as “a stickler for the basics”. Di spent most of her early lessons on the lunge, helping Heather Hall maintain its emphasis on discipline and good position in the rider. It obviously worked: by the time she was 10, Di was competing, and she did a one-day event on one of the riding school ponies.

Heather Hall did not just teach children. It was well-known for preparing students for the BHS examinations, including the more advanced teaching qualification, the BHSI. The well-rounded education its students received was helped by visiting instructors like Lisa Shedden, FIH, FBHS, Col AEG Stuart, Jean Mackeness, BHSI, and Jane Turner, BHSI.

Nick Creaton left Heather Hall in September 1989, when he went freelance, and the school closed in October 1989. Mrs Kew died in January 1995, and Heather Hall was sold. The family who bought Heather Hall had a few liveries, but the riding school was not resurrected.  Heather Hall, its stables and land were sold in 2014, and planning has now been granted to return Heather Hall to a single house. The historical assessment of the buildings created as part of the planning application makes fascinating reading. Some of the elements of the riding school are still there; there’s still an indoor school, and the timber stables. There’s still a mounting block made out of millstones. The listed stables retain some of their 19th century fittings, with stall partitions, feeding troughs and hayracks, but the building is, sadly, in an extremely poor state of repair, and in obvious need of much love, attention and money. The new owners have a considerable task on their hands, and they are to be commended for taking it on.

Heather Hall fell victim to a pattern that seems common in riding schools: a simple lack of someone to take the school on. The Kews had no children, and not many people can provide the huge capital investment necessary to take on and maintain a set of historic buildings, let alone run a business which makes incredible demands on time and energy.

***



My apologies for the paucity of pictures - copyright-free pictures of Heather Hall are all but non-existent. 

Sources
Very many thanks to Nick Creaton, formerly chief instructor at Heather Hall, who was an absolutely invaluable source of help. Nick still teaches, as well as acting as a chief examiner for the BHS. He designs saddles and saddlery, and you can find his website here.
Historic Building Assessment of Heather Hall, Trigpoint. North West Leicestershire Planning Department.
The Schools Handbook, 1955 
Di Lampard on her first pony, OscarEQ Life, September 7, 2012, retrieved 12 March 2016.
Di Lampard and Heather Hall. Leicester Mercury, May 18, 2015, retrieved 13 March 2016.

Comments

Jacquie Aucott said…
Hallo Jane. What a coincidence. I rode at Heather Hall as an adult in the mid 1980s. I have a happy memories of good horses and fun lessons - part from the time I fell off and broke my elbow. It was certainly one of the better riding schools I have had experience of over the last 45 years.

I was running a mental health day centre in Hinckley then and on at least 2 occasions we organised a day out there with the clients. The day included a couple of rides and some stable work - not everyone wanted to ride but were welcome to watch and just enjoy being out in the country.

I will have to dig out some photos...

Now I live nearby in Ibstock but sadly no Heather Hall and my stiff hips have meant I have had to give up riding at least for the time being. However the collection of pony books still grows and am currently reading a Mary Elwyn Patchett, Stranger in the Herd. You couldn't get much further from Heather Hall in the horse world.
Jane Badger said…
Hi Jacquie - I never thought to ask if you'd ever been there! I realised it was near you, but didn't put the two together, if you see what I mean! I'd love to see some photos if you can find them.

And yes, Mary Elwyn Patchett is a world away from Heather Hall. It's one I haven't read, so I'd love to know what you think.
Anonymous said…
Hi Jacquie - If you have any photos of the hall we would love to see them - in particular if you have any of the interior of the hall itself. We're the new owners of the hall, hence trying to get an understanding of how it used to be as part of the refurbishment :-)

If you could email them to me that would be great - simon at potwells dot co dot uk.

Thanks, Simon
Amanda Smithdale said…
Great article Jane...I visited Heather Hall yesterday and the builders let me look around. I too learnt to ride there exactly at the same time as Di Lampard and Rosemary Tyldesley and a Jane ( was that you?) . Going back after 50 years was quite moving with so many happy memories there. Mrs Kew was such a character and certainly I agree a stickler for perfection when it came to teaching. I can picture her now with the black labradors, cigarette in her mouth long ash and tweed suits! I do have some photos of those of us who were there in the mid/late 60's somewhere and of 'Jane' ? on a chestnut pony from the yard at Ashby Show when held in Calke Park if you are interested.
Jane Badger said…
Hi Amanda - no, it wasn't me! I learned to ride over the border in Northants. If you can scan me your photos, that would be fantastic - thank you so much. There is an email link on the blog.
Anonymous said…
Hi, Stumbled on this webpage by accident as I am off to the dentist in Ashby de la Zouch later today and was looking for directins. Anyway it took me back to my many weekly lessons at Heather Hall as a child and I also stayed there on 'riding holidays' where myself and friends stayed for two weeks in the Hall itself and had riding lessons each day on our own ponies who would be stabled in the yard.
The teacher we had was called Carol and another teacher who I think was called Alan who used to ride Mrs Kew's cross country event horse in competitions.
This was roughly around 1969 or 1970 I can't remember exactly but I do remember having a wonderful time.
Thank you for proving all the history on the Hall etc. I have enjoyed reading all about it.
Isobel Chesterman
Jane Badger said…
My pleasure - I hope the dentist visit went well! Thank you very much for your memories.
Lynne Welch said…
Hello, I too stumbled across this by accident. What a lovely read which brought back many happy memories. I worked as a general stable hand there over the 1988/89 winter. I was very sad to leave it had to go back to my summer job. I worked under Nick, Mark and Becky. Mark, Becky and I had such fun and I often wonder what happened to them. We used to be fed by the hall cook in the staff kitchen with two large courses! I remember sneaking into the main hall from the staff flat and seeing Mrs Kew’s large collection of old porcelain dolls. I was very interested (and saddened) to hear about what happened to the riding school. I remember most of the horses names, I had a couple of favourites, Mrs Kew’s Arab show ponies and her two labs Heath and Tweed. Happy days.
Lynne
Andy Douglas said…
Hello just out of the blue,i decided to look up Heather hall ,i use to be an instructor there under Nick,and
Andy Douglas said…
Teach the working pupils, and train the horses, mine was heatherglen,and Mrs Kew and dogs often went round the fields for a walk, must of been about the early 80,s
Ann Johnson said…
Ann Johnson
My sister Michelle and I rode regularly throughout the mid 1960s. The first horse I rode was Honey. Others were Merlin, Justice, Atlanta. The cheekiest pony was Toy. There were also Silk, Coconut, Rasmin, Kingfisher. I enjoyed the week courses from Col. Stuart and Major Richy. Mr Edgley an ex jockey was that instructer at the time. We went every Saturday morning for several years and we lived the other side of Leicester. Well worth the travel.
Rosamund said…

I was so pleased to have found this site when looking for any memories of Heather Hall. My mother started to take me to Mrs Kew at age 5 in 1953 as I was so keen to ride and I learned on Firefly a most patient little pony. Mrs Kew was quite strict on her riders but adored all her horses and I will never forget how she approached and spoke to each of thenm so gently. It is something that I always try to do myself. We did all kinds of lessons, lunge, musical rides and vaulting onto the horses. Hacks out involved lots of roadwork in the days when coal lorries rattled past. I remember long trots when I frequently developed stitch but even that did not put me off. Horses I remember were Pat, Min, Copper, Honey, Feather, Toy, Commotion and Hazel.

Ros Wall-Clarke Maiden name Rosamund Salmond
August 2020

Unknown said…
My sister and I were at Heather Hall during the spring break of 1973 I think. We were there for two weeks. Carol and Ronnie were the instructors. My sister Virginia and I were there by ourselves the first week. Then joined by other girls the next week. I had just won WH Smith and Son's Win a Pony Competition and this holiday was part of the prize. I remember Merlin especially. He cribbed terribly and his stall was wired. See had a wonderful time.
ruth hack said…
I was a student at heather Hall in 1986/1987 for a year. us students had to walk Mrs Kew's Dogs heath and Tweedy 3x a day MRs Kew would ring an old school bell, and one of them often ran off ! and on one occasion i was instructed to walk over the fields with a megaphone that didn't work, calling Heath heath!.
Have soo many memories of that place. can remember all the horses, Beth, burnt heath, heather glen, Pinkie and Perky.
we use to have our lectures in the chapel on the side of the house with mark W.
I believe I scratched my name in the brick door way of the old stable yard.
we had beans on toast every single night for a year !
it was a wonderful creepy old house with a brilliant Cellar! and when MRs Kew use to go off to Scotland for a holiday we would party.
But we did have to work hard . and on occasions when Mrs Kew came on to the yard or to watch our lessons with Nick it was like the queen arriving, very found memories.
As I was the only one that could drive I use to take Mrs Kew into Ashby once a week with a shopping trolley on wheels. The yard was always spotless as we had to brush it three times a day.

Ruth Hack
Unknown said…
This was so good to read, my mum Wendy Briggs was a working pupil at Heather Hall, i estimate in the 1950s! She told me so many stories from here, about mrs kew and her time there. She passed on her love of all things horsey to me.
Jane Badger said…
That's good to know! Riding schools really do make such an impact on our lives, don't they?
Ronnie. said…
I am Ronnie who was instructing there with Carol.
Ronnie. said…
I am Ronnie who was an instructor with Carol 1973!
Unknown said…
Please check out:

www.hoofbeatsandhorsetales.com

I have written a book set in 1960s Leicestershire. Heels Down Hall: Adventures of a Working Pupil. by Regina Kear Reid and illustrated by J. Johnson. Teen/young adult.
novel.

Many of you may recognize the Hall on the cover, my mother took that photo in 1968.

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