Description:The Doveleys estate was acquired around 1831 by Sir Benjamin Heywood (1792-1863), a Manchester banker, and later given to his son Sir Thomas Percival Heywood (1823-1874). Thomas Percival replaced the existing small farm with a large country house. It was further extended and rebuilt after a devastating fire in July 1874. Doveleys remained the Heywood family home until the death of Lt. Col. Sir Graham Percival Heywood in 1946 at which point it was put up for sale. During 1940, it was a temporary home for evacuees.
It was acquired by Abbotsholme School and between 1949 and 1953 it was Doveleys School for Boys. It was then purchased for use as an approved school and 90 boys from Werrington Reformatory moved there in 1953. The school closed in 1988. Since then the Doveleys estate has been a hotel, golf course, garden centre and the site of new housing.
Sir Thomas Percival Heywood played a major role in the founding of Denstone College, and also paid for the construction of All Saints' church, the Vicarage and the village school in Denstone.
Thanks to Brian Collyer, who was evacuated to Doveleys, and shares his memories below:
In the beginning of 1940, I was an evacuee from Ramsgate in Kent along with my sister. Altogether, there were fourteen girls and two boys. We were met by staff, who guided us into the dining area. The food was ice cold - rabbit and rice pudding. Some of the children tried to eat, with not much success. I refused to eat it after trying, I found I did not like the taste of rabbit. It was then gently but firmly forced on me.
As we were all so young we were all in the same dormitory. Then the goodnight came, one elderly lady must have thought she was Vera Lynn, her favourite song was “Goodnight Children Everywhere”. Many of the children cried.
Next morning, we all had to get up and wash etcetera. The breakfast was better. Later we were taken some distance away to a local school, which we had to walk to and from each day. I do not remember too much of that. One of us, we took it in turns weekly, had to guide the children – like a school monitor. If we had been good all week, we had an orange or an apple and a ride on the small train that was there and used by the workmen to move heavy farm items.
If we misbehaved in any way, you could be reported, so at the weekend you did not get your apple or other fruit that was available at that time, nor a ride on the railway that ran around the estate. On Sunday we attended the local church. Two children who been good, were given a ride back to the house in the family cars.
Just before Christmas we were told we had some Christmas presents sent to us by our families. We were not given them. On Christmas Eve we asked for them, and the singing lady said, “no, you will have them later.” David and I, who I admit could be naughty, found them and gave them to the children. We never got punished.
I was later taken to a private address in Denstone, near a garage and a small bridge over a small stream, before moving to my parents who were in Millom in Cumbria.
My wife and I visited the house on our honeymoon, I asked to look around the house and were told no as it was for young 'offenders'. When I showed my London Police ID they gave us a tour. The boys’ rooms were all different colours and boys all wore different colours which corresponded with their room colour. I mentioned the railway to a staff member who did not know about it. I pointed to two metal rail lines that were still on the ground. We also visited Denstone, and the man who was running the garage was the young boy that I had played with.
Happy Memories.