Croxton Park House

Croxton Park House is located in Croxton Park close to the village of Croxton Kerrial in Leicestershire. It was used as a hunting lodge by the Third Duke of Rutland and is set in the grounds of Croxton Abbey.

It was built in 1730 by the Third Duke of Rutland using materials from the ruins of the 12th century Abbey which now exists as earthworks in front of the Park House. It may have been originally the guest house of the abbey, its ruins rebuilt into the building we see today.

Croxton Abbey is famous for having King Johns heart buried in the abbey church, for which his son, King Henry III granted gifts to the abbey. The abbot of Croxton Abbey heard King Johns final confession and prepared his body for burial.

The abbey was hit by a severe fire in 1326 which destroyed most of the abbey including the church but luckily only one canon died in the disaster. It was rebuilt but finally met its end in 1538 as the dissolution took effect.

Park House now stands empty and ruined surrounded by trees and nettles. The roof has fallen inside the building helping to speed up the decay.