Fielden Graves (John and Thomas Fielden)

On a run up to Scarborough I took a detour to find two Fielden graves about a mile south of Tadcaster. They’re near the Grimston Park Estate which the Fielden’s owned. The grand gates were open so I drove in to see a few charming residences set in a cracking corner of Yorkshire. I wasn’t sure if this was private land but was sure the home-owners didn’t want nosey geeks like me sniffing around so I ended up parking at Kirkby Wharfe, a small quiet village made up from a few houses surrounding a green. I didn’t see a soul in the village, just a nervous-looking cat and some magpies.

I strolled up to the grounds of St John The Baptist church and quickly found the headstones standing together. Here lie...

John Fielden (who’s dad was the famous cotton-manufacturer and MP) who was so wealthy from making cotton he bought the estate in 1872 for £265,000. With the Hall came 600 acres of parkland and outlying farms. He’s buried here with his wife. When John died he left the estate to his nephew...

Thomas Fielden who was an MP for Middleton.

Both should have stayed away from hunting. Though John reached 71 he spent the last 24 years of his life in a wheelchair due to a hunting accident. Thomas died suddenly of a heart attack aged 43 while grouse hunting in Scotland.

Today the Fielden family still the own the Grimston Estate though they sold the mansion after many years of occupation. The link for the estate is here…

http://www.grimstonpark.com/

John Fielden…

Thomas Fielden…