Owners of a stately home where Oliver Cromwell was reputedly buried are accused of ‘sacrificing’ historic village nearby with plan to build new homes
- Villagers claim homes in Coxwold could be flooded under stately home plans
- Newburgh Priory is funding refurbishments through housing developments
- Grade I-listed stately home is the rumoured burial place of Cromwell’s corpse
Angry homeowners are accusing the owners of a stately Yorkshire home of ‘sacrificing’ their Domesday Book village with developments that risk major flooding.
Villagers claim homes in Coxwold could be flooded under plans developed by Newburgh Priory, the rumoured burial place of Oliver Cromwell’s headless corpse.
The ancient priory, which was founded on land granted by William the Conqueror and sold to Henry VIII for £1,062, is now in need of significant repairs.
The family plans to maintain the Grade I-listed mansion by expanding visitor accommodation and open up the home to weddings, parties and corporate events.
Under proposals approved by Hambleton District Council this year, these repairs and improvements will be funded through four housing developments.
Villagers claim homes in Coxwold could be flooded under plans developed by Newburgh Priory (pictured), the rumoured burial place of Oliver Cromwell’s headless corpse
Two of these developments will be in nearby Coxwold, including an affordable housing scheme and four ‘principal residence’ homes.
According to the Priory Estate’s agent, the work is needed ‘to ensure a sound economic future and to help provide the opportunity to repair, conserve and bring back into working use a number of heritage assets within the estate’.
They said: ‘This current application for four dwellings is part of a wider development programme, including an application at the southern end of the village (within the National Park) or an affordable housing scheme, and two separate applications outside the National Park, within Hambleton District Council, for housing development at Oulston Hall Farm, Oulston and High Lions Farm at Yearsley.’
Although some villagers have welcomed the schemes which they think will help reverse population decline in the park, many are objecting.
In papers submitted to the North York Moors National Park Authority, they fear that building four homes on a field off Byland Road will increase the risk of flooding.
Angry homeowners are accusing the owners of the stately Yorkshire home of ‘sacrificing’ their Domesday Book village, Coxwold (pictured), with developments that risk major flooding
One resident, Simon Le Gassicke, said: ‘Although I appreciate the advantages of proposed development of Newburgh Priory I am not sure Coxwold needs to be sacrificed rather than seek an alternative form of finance.
‘The proposals will severely damage the appearance of our village, creating an abrupt entrance to an urban area.
‘There has been considerable growth of our village in recent decades and development is now near saturation.’
In a report to the authority’s planning committee, officers said residents had submitted ‘substantial evidence regarding previous flooding events’.
However, they said that the scheme was not believed to exacerbate flooding.
Instead, officers claimed the affordable housing schemes would benefit the local community, provide funding for essential repairs of a designated heritage asset and ‘would not harm the character and setting of the village of Coxwold’.
Newburgh Priory: Ancient site bought by Henry VIII and rumoured to be Cromwell’s final resting place
Newburgh Priory became the rumoured final resting place of Oliver Cromwell – the warrior who overthrew Charles I
Newburgh Priory was originally a house of Augustinian canons, founded in 1145 on the site of land granted by William the Conqueror.
Little is known about the history of the priory from its founding until its dissolution in 1538 by Henry VIII, who bought it in 1539 for just over £1,000.
After the dissolution of the priory in 1538, the building became a family home. The present house was built in the late 16th century, remodelled by the 4th Viscount Fauconberg and further restored in the 1960s.
The 40 acre grounds, which belonged to the Bellasis family and was the seat of the Earls of Fauconberg before passing onto the Wombwells after 1825, contain a water garden, walled garden, topiary yews and woodland.
Newburgh Priory became the rumoured final resting place of Oliver Cromwell, the warrior who overthrew Charles I after the 17th century Civil War and became Lord Protector.
Cromwell died in 1658 after suffering with malarial fever. He was buried with great ceremony with an elaborate funeral at Westminster Abbey.
After the monarchy was restored in 1660, Cromwell’s body was exhumed from Westminster Abbey in 1661, the 12th anniversary of the execution of Charles I, and was subjected to a posthumous execution.
Cromwell’s body was hanged in chains at Tyburn, London and then thrown into a pit. His head was cut off and displayed on a pole outside Westminster Hall until 1685, and was then owned by various people.
His head was publicly exhibited several times before being buried beneath the floor of the antechapel at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge in 1960.
However, Cromwell’s headless corpse was nowhere to be seen – leading many people to speculate on its current whereabouts.
One theory suggests that Cromwell’s daughter Mary, Countess of Fauconberg, rescued the remains after he was beheaded and brought them to her family home – Newburgh Priory near Coxwold.
According to folklore, even Edward VII (as Prince of Wales) tried to open the tomb inside the mansion to find Cromwell’s remains.
Other theories include that his headless corpse was buried somewhere in London, Cambridgeshire or Northamptonshire.