Harlaxton College - Settling In
Ingrid Luffman, 1-22-24
Two weeks ago, I arrived at what is to be my home until the end of April. Harlaxton College is located in Harlaxton Manor, which is in the village of Harlaxton. , It makes for an interesting mailing address (Ingrid Luffman, Harlaxton College, Harlaxton Manor, Harlaxton,….). The manor itself is not as old as one might think. I DID get the tour and history lesson, but not all of it stuck. The manor was built by Gregory Gregory (yup), who inherited a previous structure on the property from his uncle George George (I’m not making this up!). The original manor was under disrepair and was torn down by Gregory Gregory, who then commissioned the design and construction of the present manor house in 1831. This place is massive, and was built to impress, from its massive gates, gate house, courtyard, carriage house (where I live), conservatory, gardens, and multiple state rooms used for entertaining. It’s a mix of styles that purists and architects find disturbing, but I find it really interesting. So many towers, spires, windows, nooks and crannies, and secret passages too!
Gregory Gregory was a local businessman and industrialist who made his money through coal, railways, and canals, which were the main transportation mechanisms of the day. He dedicated about 30 years of his life to build and decorate the manor, and many of the doors, fireplaces, carvings, and even a staircase or two were purchased during his travels and shipped back to Lincolnshire to be incorporated into the design of Harlaxton Manor.
Our first week here was spent settling in, learning our way around the Manor, finding classrooms and figuring out IT connectivity to be ready for the first day of classes. I explored the grounds and the surrounding countryside (more on that next time). We also had a walking tour of Grantham, which is about 3 miles away and is the closest town with shops (although in true English fashion, there is a pub at the end of the mile-long driveway).
The drive up to the manor from the main road. The gates behind me are no longer used and so traffic comes in through the village and joins the drive right before the gatehouse.
We had a lovely convocation dinner (which here is a welcome celebration to start the semester) with a piper. Here he is in the Great Hall after he piped us out from one of the state rooms after dinner.
The food is excellent, ranging from comfort food to fine dining, here's a drooly shot of our appetizer from one of the welcome meals during the first week.
