Thank-you for this wonderful video, Ant. It brings back many fond memories for me as my dad was the groundsman there from 1962 to 1965 when, with very little notice, Trent College decided to cut the prep school adrift and sell the house and grounds to Nottingham University. We lived in a flat in one of the outbuildings you pointed out on the right as you approach Bramcote Hall. It was one of three, the others being occupied by teachers, and was situated on the first floor, directly above the gym. The school had a complement of 80 boys, all boarders, four or five permanent masters and a matron. The headmaster was Tim Bowles, a young man for such a post but very energetic and enthusiastic, and a true gentleman whose sort no longer exist. Mr Bowles was dealt an awful hand by Trent College but took the very courageous decision to go independent and move the school to Gamston, as pointed out by one of your correspondents. The approach to the Hall was wooded on both sides initially, the left side giving way to a football pitch and then the tennis court. The outbuildings to your right, as well as teachers' accommodation, housed the tractor and other tools and maintenance items. Behind the outbuildings was the playground and beyond that, the outdoor swimming pool. This was abutted by some woodland and the school boundary beyond which was the public footpath which diverged from the drive at a right fork just after the vicarage. The boys used to swim naked and could sometimes be seen from the public footpath! I have not returned since 1965 and had no idea that it had all been demolished. Nowadays it would have been listed and preserved. I have a few old black and white photos that I took with my Brownie camera and can scan them to you if you are interested. Thanks again.

Such a shame when these magnificent buildings are left to ruin and demolished 😢

We do love to demolish our history in this country don’t we! What was the point of flattering it, even in 1965 it must have been worth £££, just wasteful….same as the destruction of the railways.😢

Excellent video. Why on earth did it not survive. You certainly showed some beautiful stonework. It would have made a spectacular Hotel. The views were to die for.

I remember seeing the swimming pool before it was filled in . As kids we would walk up Baulk Lane, over the ( then new ) A52 and along the path / ridge to the park off town street . The swimming pool was not far into the grounds of the house from the path.

I've been to what became of Bramcote Lorne prep school in Gamston. It's now a private house and I know the guy who lives there. The main part of the house must have been there before the school took it over but I'd just assumed it was always a school until he bought it but now you've explained the history here it makes sense why it's called Bramcode Lorne despite being at the wrong end of Nottinghamshire. The school added all kinds of extensions over the years and at the back is the old portacabin science block but when it was sold it was also listed including the science block so now he has a beautiful mansion with a bunch of rotting portacabins behind it which he can't remove because they're listed along with the rest of it. It's daft that now they apply that sort of protection to some 90's portacabins but buldosed a beautiful building like Bramcote Hall not so long ago.

Great video Ant. I read somewhere that between the end of the war and 1990 something like 600 Manor house's were pulled down. Deaths, taxes and dereliction being the main reasons.

It was our local Scout camp for years in the 70s. Back then there was still a wing of the hall left that we would use in Winter rather than camping in tents. We also used to practice climbing and abseiling down what was left of the hall's highest wall that was still standing. In the grounds below we had stone raised fireplaces and there were two toilet blocks. The main campfire are (for large campfire gatherings) was on the balustraded levelled area.

Local to the area. It was our scout camp site in the 80s, I remember the swimming pool and its summer houses still standing empty in the early 90s to my knowledge. As teens we would just camp there in the mid 90s (not as scouts then) and the wall was still standing in to the 00s before it was knocked down.

What a lovely building that was Ant,such a shame it was demolished, x

Love these sorts of videos, very interesting, mixed with the old photos and research you do makes them unmissable

Love the old explore of the mansion,such a lovely setting, shame it was demolished 😢

Hi Ant,that happens to be my daughter's local dog walk. You missed the restored ice house just down the hill a little ways of the walled garden.And across the road is a local landmark the Hemlock stone.

Great video. I was aware the old hall used to be there but didn't realise what remained to be seen. I moved to Chilwell in 1960 and the most visible part of the old hall was the wooden bridge that spanned Town Street from the hall side to the playing fields on the other side - now the houses in Home Croft. I seem to remember seeing boys in PE kit walking over the bridge one day. The bridge was removed some years ago - probably in the 80s - but was a very significant and well known landmark for many years. I think the stone abutment is still visible on the hall side of the road at the point where the brick wall commences.

It is quite amazing at how little is left of that once grand building. I am trying to imagine what it would be like for former pupils of the school that may have gone back to the site over the last few years. Probably astounded at how much it's changed - with little to show that a school was once on the site. I can imagine a former pupil trying to get his bearings - trying to work out where everything he used to know was once situated. I also wonder how the land ended up being returned to nature? These days any land with existing building rights would be worth a fortune to developers. Probably pulled down well before the property market went mad in this country. Nice to see it returned to nature, but also sad to see such parts of our history lost forever. reminds me very much of Derwent Hall.

This has been great to watch Ant, thank you for taking time to record this. Many years ago as a teenager I and friends used to venture into these woods regularly, leading to a piqued interest in its history.

Another fascinating explore Ant. Yet another piece of history captured forever by your camera

So sad, what a wonderful place it was in its heyday

Very interesting explore Ant, beautiful grounds & few remains to see such a shame that gorgeous mansion is no more. ❤😊

Used to walk round there with my grandad as a child looks like it's a lot more overgrown now. I can remember seeing alot more ruins.