Thornbridge Hall & Estate

Jim and I bought Thornbridge Hall and Estate in May 2002.

The excitement was immense - so much to do - so many things to restore and sort out - basics like freshwater, sewage, warmth, missing walls!

Not so long after moving in we built the original Thornbridge Brewery in a converted joiner's and stonemason’s workshop within the grounds of Thornbridge Hall. With aims "to make a small range of quality cask and bottled beers using new recipes, innovative approaches and the use of local fresh ingredients". It’s first beers appeared in February 2005 and have won many awards. Jaipur the infamous IPA was invented and brewed here - on our third attempt. The Brewery grew like hoppy and so we built an enormous brewery on the Riverside Estate in Bakewell - where we have a seriously cool Tap Room and shop. All part of Thornbridge Life.

About Emma and Thornbridge Hall

Thornbridge Hall is my home and a truly magical place that we all have the privilege of caring for and making sure it is full of life and brings new experiences and happiness to our thousands of visitors. We have been opening our gates to all manner of events from just four days after we owned it. Hummmm… we warned people to dress scruffy and bring an umbrella as it was raining inside!

2 decades and £20m later - we have nearly restored and saved every inch of Thornbridge.

Thornbridge is my Legacy.

I came here as a 15 year old with my youth worker, Donna. Yes, bet that surprises you? I was under the watchful guidance of a youth worker. She was obviously brilliant! Under the radar - we have carried on with work like this and also given away the wonderful facilities of Thornbridge to hundreds of charities to raise their much needed funds.

I would love people to help and join in so we have established the Thornbridge 4 Everyone Trust - a formalised way to support children from disadvantaged or troubled backgrounds and hundreds of charities.

So excited about the future of Thornbridge - Jim and I are so busy planning and working on setting Thornbridge up forever so it can stand on it’s own two feet. At the moment it relies on Jim and me to pay for everything. It has to become independent of us - because on a not so cheerful, but obvious note - Jim and I as the sole funders and custodians will die one day…

So, before Lockdown we presented the sustainable future of the Estate to the Peak Park and during Lockdown we all worked together to build our new 7 day a week Quackers Cafe, the Parkland Drive and car park and repair the “Clumber Quadrafoil Fountain” (now becoming a social media legend as the place to net hundreds of rubber ducks!)

If you see us about - we are always out and about! Sorting stuff, chatting - say hello.

All the best to you and your families from us, Emma and Jim Harrison, our family and all the other families who live here too.

All of this is my Legacy (oh, and Jim’s of course) - Ensuring a Forever Thornbridge - always open to the public, making a difference - and never ordinary.

Emma

Xxx

PS - come and slowly drive the new Parkland Drive - the first time in the history of Thornbridge that the parkland has ever been accessible to the public - it is beautiful - animals, bear lake and more - we are working out ways to share it more in the future - a Victorian Parkland stroll to the Boat House anyone?