Stanford Hall (original) (raw)
Stanford Hall is a stately home located in Leicestershire, England, near the town of Lutterworth.
It is the ancestral home of the Cave family. The present hall was built in the 1690s, on the site of an earlier manor house, for Sir Roger Cave, and is considered by many to be a fine example of architecture of the William and Mary period.
The River Avon flows through the grounds.
The aviation pioneer Percy Pilcher built some of his early gliders here in the 1890s, he also built a powered flying machine here which many historians believe was capable of flight, but he was killed nearby in an accident in 1899 before he could try it. An exact replica of pilcher's "The Hawk" glider is an exibit at the hall.
The hall is a tourist attraction. Amongst the attractions are a motorcycle museum, and guided tours around the hall and its grounds.