Kingshaugh.

After 12 years of hard work Kathryn and Aubrey Elliott have restored a 13th century royal hunting lodge.

Kingshaugh, or "King's Enclosure", as translated from the original Saxon, was being used as a cowshed when they took it over.

It was in royal hands for over four centuries. King John, of the Robin Hood legend, had a hunting lodge on the site. In the early 1300's the king spent the princely sum of  five hundred and fifty pounds four shillings and seven pence fortifying the site. Traces of the banks and ditches can still be seen.

The building that stands there now is a Jacobean manor house built in 1630 on older foundations.

The Elliotts are now opening the house to the public. * For details about tours of Kingshaugh telephone the Elliotts on 01777 871870.

Notts County Council tourism and country parks officer Linda Hardy said: "Kingshaugh is a time capsule. It's an architectural gem.

I know that Aubrey and Kathryn Elliot have put a lot of work in to restore the house. We get a lot of interest from groups wanting to visit."

Kingshaugh now has ten bedrooms, four reception rooms, a hallway, cellar, dining room and bathroom. It also has a wildflower and herb garden where there was once a rubbish tip.

More than 7,000 bricks were used to rebuild the chimney and the 1950s fireplaces were replaced with marble and stone hearths.
Digging to install water and electricity supplies unearthed bronze age pottery and iron age flint tools which are now on show in the house

Home from home for King John (and the Elliott family).

King John reigned from 1199 to 1216 after succeeding his elder brother Richard the Lionheart.

The original building included a hunting lodge, chapel, ancillary buildings and an enclosed deer park for hunting in Sherwood Forest.

During one three-day visit in 1212 King John had one thousand litres of wine brought up the River Trent from Nottingham to Dunham-on-Trent, where it was taken by horse and cart to the lodge.

King John would often visit Kingshaugh on his way to Lincoln, Nottingham or Tickhill Castle in South Yorkshire.

In 1216 King John, on a visit to the Swineshead public house in Boston, Lincolnshire, was taken ill after "over-indulging" on a fish meal of lampreys and peach wine. He was taken to Newark Castle where he later died. Rumour has it he was actually poisoned.

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