In Search of the Ragged Rock, Newstead

The Ragged Rock is a curious folly that stands to one side of the Lower (or Sherwood) Lake near Newstead Abbey. The fifth Lord Byron had planned the Lower Lake to be twice its present size and for the Ragged Rock to be its centrepiece, but funds ran out before the project could be completed.
The Lower Lake area -- in private hands these days - is a tranquil, beautiful spot, awash with vibrant colours. It feels like a lost world. A pair of swans and their young glide lazily across the lake; a cuckoo calls; the River Leen meanders happily through the woods, unaware of the urban fate that awaits it in just a few miles. Meanwhile, the Ragged Rock stands sentinel - a stark, crumbling reminder of the transient nature of existence.
This short film documents our rediscovery of the Ragged Rock -- a popular attraction amongst visitors to the Newstead estate in years past, now shielded by dense woodland and all-but forgotten.

Richard

Category:

Education

Tags:

• ragged
• rock
• newstead
• abbey
• nottinghamshire
• lord
• byron
• folly
• forgotten
• abandoned
• monument
• history
• national
• heritage
• interzone