Parmoor

Introduction

Introduction

Parmoor and the D'Oyley family

Parmoor and the Cripps family

The 1954 notes on Parmoor

The 1946 sale
Parmoor House near Frieth 1946
Parmoor House in 1946

[ The first three parts of this section come from "A History of Frieth" which was one of two folders (the other being "Your House and Mine") compiled by Joan Barksfield which circulated in Frieth. The folder was first issued in January 1973 and I think amended over time up to January 1984.

I have placed these three items here because it gives me space to add other documents about Parmoor which I am uncovering.

Parmoor House, now known as "St Katharine's Parmoor", is the Headquarters of the Sue Ryder Prayer Fellowship.  You can see a virtual tour of the property as it is now on their website http://www.srpf.org.uk/  The History section of that website clearly draws on the same notes from 1954 given to my mother by the sisters in 1973.  Following extensive research into the D'Oyley family she identified a number of mistakes in those notes - the version available from the menu on the left has been corrected.

During my time in Frieth, Parmoor House was always known as "St Katharine's Convent" and, as a young boy, I was dragged there reluctantly to what I thought then were very boring "Sales of work" usually just before Christmas I think - the tedium only being relieved by my being offered a slice of excellent cake for which the kitchens there were renowned!

My father used to talk about King Zog of Albania having been exiled there during the war (1941 - 46) although I don't believe they ever met.  More recently Neil Rees has published a book "A Royal Exile: King Zog and Queen Geraldine, Including Their Wartime Exile in the Thames Valley and Chilterns"

But I now know that Parmoor has a rich and fascinating history going back hundreds of years which I hope you will enjoy discovering in the following pages as much as I have.

Bill Barksfield November 2011 ]