MEMORIES OF LODDINGTON YOUTH HOSTEL

Do you remember the Youth Hostel at Loddington? It opened its doors to members of the Youth Hostels Association in 1946. If you have tales to tell or memories to share, why not post them on this site, or let me have them for posting for you? My name is John Dyson and I can be contacted by clicking here.

My first visit to Loddington was in 1962, and it was the very first Youth Hostel I had ever stayed at. It was a trial run for a planned cycling holiday to Towyn in Wales with my cousin. It involved staying overnight in Shrewsbury Hostel, and we needed to know what hostelling was like before we set off on the big adventure.

The warden of Loddington Hostel was then a Mrs Lucely. (I am not sure of the spelling but it was pronounced “loosely”). We knew nothing about hostelling and on our arrival stood knocking the door for several minutes before a not very pleased Mrs Lucely answered it. We were not to know that one was supposed to just enter Youth Hostels without knocking, to report to the reception. However this was to be the first of many a “bednight”, not only at Loddington, but many other Youth Hostels.

Loddington was a fairly large hostel of some 40 beds. The 1962 YHA handbook informed us that there was a store at the hostel to buy food for those cooking their own, but the warden would also provide meals for those who required them. This store also sold Post cards as illustrated here.

It also reported that there was a shop and Post Office 2 miles away at Belton (now Belton in Rutland) and a Post office 1½ miles away at East Norton. Neither of these facilities remains today (2006). The handbook entry also carried a warning to cyclists about the “Dangerous z bend and hill on the road from East Norton”. That danger is still there.

I soon became involved in the Leicester Group of the YHA and spent many a happy time at Loddington. There were celebrations, such as Bonfire Night, as well as committee meetings and working parties.

The 1957 annual report of the Leicestershire and Rutland sub-region of the YHA carries a note that “At Loddington alterations to provide inside toilets on the ground floor are now complete, and the drying room and several other rooms have been redecorated. Almost all of this work has been done by volunteers.” Working parties were a tradition and in the mid 1960s a team of volunteers helped to install mains water to the hostel when the facility arrived in the village. This involved digging a trench across the front lawn to the water main, and installing large tanks in a room on the third floor of the hostel. There was an interesting Fire Escape from this room, which consisted of jumping out of the window attached to a rope, which was contained in a drum that limited the speed of descent. I think it was called a “Davy” escape. Some members were brave enough to test it! Rather like abseiling.
Prior to the mains arriving, the water had been obtained from a well. This well was inside the building and covered by a stone slab, which I think had a letter W on it. It worried some members when they discovered the well was lined with lead.

Apart from the drying room there was a kitchen for those preparing their own food, a dining room and a common room. The common room is shown in this photo.

The wooden shutters on the windows made it very cosy in the winter when the stove was lit. The reception was a curved counter under the large sweeping staircase, rather reminiscent of a hotel reception.

The future of Loddington Hostel became rather uncertain in the later1960s, especially with the then decline in cycling. Usage was falling and it became difficult to attract wardens. Mrs Lucely had left to be followed by Mrs Livermore, and Mrs Lockton. Then Mrs Ellison arrived and she was to become the last ever warden at Loddington. The local group had done its best to rejuvenate the ailing hostel by erecting a large wooden structure in the garden, which was equipped as a field study centre. The usage of the hostel did increase, but not sufficiently to avoid its closure at the end of 1969. A sad day for all involved.

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