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Around Town Meets...
Lord St Oswald of Nostell
By Frank A Wilson
 Quite a time of it your editor is having of it of late; two titled ladies were interviewed for the Spring Barnsley issue and now I had the opportunity to meet a real-life local Lord.
All sounds rather grand and somewhat daunting, but on neither occasion did it turn out to be an ordeal – just the contrary in fact.
I met, Lord St Oswald at the family seat of Nostell Priory in the smart but unpretentious Estate Office that has been beautifully converted from what was in the past part of the kennels in the home farm estate yard adjacent to great family house. This conversion is in itself a very good example of the extent to which good stewardship of the family estate has, in recent times been extended to making productive and commercial use of the old estate yard and farm buildings. The sixth Lord St Oswald has clearly been at pains to ensure that recent developments have been carried out with the same style and attention to detail that has so characterised his family’s involvement at Nostell over many generations.
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 To place Nostell and the present holder of the title in full historical context would take much more space than is possible here but relatively recent developments are perhaps best seen against a wider frame. Nostell Priory is now managed by the National Trust and as one of Yorkshire’s finest great family houses, will remain a tribute to the Winn family, Lord St Oswalds ancestors.
The original Augustinian priory dedicated to St Oswald, was founded in the 12th Century on a site already occupied by a community of hermits very close to the present house and continued as a Christian centre of scholarship and service until the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII in the 16th Century. The Priory had benefited from substantial amounts of land granted by Henry I and later from the original working of local coal seams. After a series of different owners with varying degrees of connection to Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth, the estate was sold to the Winn family in 1654 and has remained in their possession ever since.
The house as we see it today was a result of the work commissioned by the 4th and 5th barons over an extended period of fifty years from 1736 and in particular the inspirational architecture, design and craftsmanship of James Paine, Robert Adam and Thomas Chippendale. Sir George Winn who was created the first Baronet of Nostell in1660 by Charles II was succeeded by his son Edmund and this title was then held by a succession of Rowlands including the sixth Baronet who died without issue in 1805. The estate was passed down through his sister who married a John Williamson with the sons assuming the Winn surname.
Closer to the present day, Rowland Winn inherited in 1874 at a time when the family’s fortunes improved markedly as they began to exploit their coal reserves. Ironstone had been found on their Lincolnshire estate and this together with Yorkshire coal established the Winns as industrialists - a not uncommon trend in family estates located in coal mining areas in those times.
In the 1870s Rowland Winn, MP for Lincolnshire and a very successful politician who rose to the rank of Lord of the Treasury, embarked on a major rebuilding and refurbishment programme of Nostell, a stage that culminated in the installation of electricity in 1890. When Lord Salisbury became Prime Minister in 1885, Rowland was rewarded for his efforts on behalf of the nation and the Conservative Party and became the 1st Baron St Oswald – taking his title from the patron saint of the medieval priory.
His successor although maintaining a strong interest in the collections of paintings and furniture in the house divided his time between Nostell and London and also travelled extensively overseas. The 3rd Lord St Oswald who succeeded in 1919 did not live at Nostell and the house was occupied by other members of the Winn family especially Rowland’s brother Charles who kept his own plane there.
The Royal Artillery occupied the house during the Second World War but the 4th Baron, after a distinguished war record returned to the family home after the end of the war. He embarked on a political career that included the post of Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and as a member of the European Parliament. He was succeeded by his brother Derek the father of the present Lord St Oswald who in turn took the title on the death of his father in 1999.
Although, since the relatively recent reform of the House of Lords, he is no longer a member of the “Upper House” Lord St Oswald professes himself as pleased that he was able to follow in his father’s footsteps in this regard to some extent – and was admitted to the House on May 19th 1999.
The present Lord St Oswald who was born in 1959, took up the reins at a relatively young age. This has enabled him to recognise new opportunities in the changing economic and social structure of the area and to bring new ideas forward. It is also clear that he has continued a high level of involvement in public life that has been so strong a feature of the lives of most of his ancestors for many generations. This includes amongst others, the Presidency of the Chippendale Society – correctly reflecting the internationally acclaimed importance of the magnificent collection of Chippendale furniture in Nostell Priory.
To take just one of many examples of Chippendale’s work from only one room; the Palladian Style desk in the library is a recognised masterpiece – and also happens to be the most expensive of his Nostell designs in the 1760’s. In the library alone – as seen by visitors today - it is complemented by six library chairs with lyre backs and a remarkable medal cabinet specifically designed for the owner of the time to house his large collection of coins and seals. Only by viewing the house is it possible to develop an appreciation of the importance of the patronage of this great designer and craftsman – and it is very fitting that the current head of the family continues to encourage and maintain an interest in his work.
Another area that Lord St Oswald is keen to promote is The Yorkshire Society. He is currently a Vice President and was pleased to remind me that Yorkshire Day is on 1st August and was to be especially celebrated in Penistone this year.
Feeling somewhat conscious of my lack of awareness of the Yorkshire Society I promised to do all I could to ensure that Around Town Publications paid the society more attention - and in this regard it is just possible that Keith Madeley, the current Chairman may agree to an interview in the not too distant future. Lord St Oswald did not exactly insist on this arrangement, but he made it quite clear that was an idea that I should pursue!
I was less threatened but just as interested in the work he does on behalf of the Wakefield Hospice – a charitable institution providing specialist palliative care for patients and their families. Meetings and promotional work in this area occupy Lord St Oswald on a very regular basis and it has been his recent practice to personally carry out a sponsored challenge every year as well as to support a wide range of fund-raising ventures. In 2005 he helped to raise over £30,000 by travelling to Nepal and embarking on a three week trek that culminated in reaching the Everest Base Camp at 18,000 ft. Not too surprisingly he found this to be a great personal challenge as well as providing an almost invaluable insight into the day to day lives of people in one of the poorest countries in Asia. Quite what he will do for his next challenge I was not able to determine but it will no doubt be tackled with the same combination of enthusiasm and good planning that appears to have the hallmark of previous ventures. His lordship’s concern to assist the less-fortunate was also reflected in his support of Wakefield first hosting the Summer Ball at Nostell with all the proceeds going to the Wakefield Express Tsunami Appeal.
Back on the home front – and literally so in what was once the Estate’s Home Farm before a shift in policy some years ago – much has changed in the last few years. The Nostell Estate Yard has been brought back to life by the creation of a prestigious office development. The beautifully proportioned old buildings provide a traditional exterior, which when combined with contemporary architect designed interiors and high quality fixtures and fittings have produced a superb working environment.
The advantages of working in such an ideal location with all mains facilities - including broadband connections on tap has already become apparent to a number of far-sighted tenants. From nothing two years ago the site now provides employment for over fifty people. Ten business units, totalling 14,000 sq feet are occupied. A further 3,000 sq feet of space is coming on stream with another 10,000 possible later. Lord St Oswald is pleased at the diversity of occupiers including two training agencies, a financial services company, distributors a property developer and an interior designer. He is also clearly delighted with the way a set of decaying old buildings have been transformed to provide such an amenable quantity of work space with substantial parking within landscaped grounds.
Whilst this form of real estate diversification makes good sense in what at the best can only be described as challenging times for farmers, it is apparent that as far as Lord St Oswald is concerned this new project has much deeper significance.
As he says, he has a responsibility as head of the family and owner of a substantial estate to build on what he inherited both locally and the wider district. “I would always want the Winn family to be involved here” he is it seems reflecting a concern to continue to improve on what has been done not only by his own family but by tenants and estate and farm workers over many generations.
Published Summer 2006. All information correct at time of print
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