The claydonarchives
A personal collection of archive material relating to Newark Park, Ozleworth, Wotton under Edge, Gloucestershire, England, and Robert (Bob) Parsons, who rescued Newark Park from ruin from 1971-2000. A Range of materials from 1896 to the present day.
Knowledge unshared is knowledge lost
©Michael Claydon
The claydonarchives – Bob Parsons & Newark Park – Gloucestershire
Newark Park
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- Originally built in the mid-16th century as a hunting lodge by Tudor courtier, Sir Nicholas Poyntz, Newark has developed over the centuries into a gentleman’s country residence. In the mid-20th century, the house and garden fell into neglect, early in 1970 Robert (Bob) Parsons negotiated a repairing lease of the house and garden with the National Trust. The Trust was bequeathed the Newark estate in 1949 by Mrs Power-Clutterbuck. Over three decades Bob Parsons rescued the house and garden from neglect and in 1982 Michael Claydon joined him to help with this ambitious project. Bob Parsons died in April 2000, from 2001 the National Trust worked with Michael Claydon to give greater public access to the estate, in 2011 Michael Claydon moved on from Newark to pursue other interests. Today Newark is managed by the National Trust, with the house, garden, and wider landscape open regularly; the house, though, no longer lived in, has an eclectic collection reflecting the time the tenants occupied it from 1971 – 2011. The Newark Photographic Collection is a personal collection of archive images from the Parsons/Claydon time at Newark Park.
Robert (Bob) Parsons
Robert Parsons was an American who fell in love with the English way of life. Bob, as he liked to be known, came to England as a soldier during World War II; he was stationed at Saffron Walden; he would spend his leave time (furlough) from the army exploring the architecture and countryside of England, this he did mainly bicycling the highways and byways of the places he explored. After the war he returned to England and settled, he bought and sold antiques and developed a property business. His most ambitious project was semi-derelict Newark Park, this would occupy him until he died in 2000. Along the way, he made many lasting friendships and Newark became a place of great hospitality.
Michael Claydon inherited from Bob a large quantity of black and white negatives of buildings and places from Bob’s travels in England, North America, Italy, Germany, and France, some of those photographs are in this archive.
‘ ….. you have re-created a work of art and a delight to all of us.’ James Lees-Milne.
Newark Park Photograph Collection
Originally built as a hunting lodge and subsequently altered into a comfortable home, the house and garden were neglected in the middle decades of the 20th century. It was rescued over three decades by Texan Robert Parsons, who made Newark Park his home. The property belongs to The National Trust.
Robert (Bob) Parsons
Robert Parson, or Bob as he was known to most people was from Wichita Falls Texas, he came to England as soldier during WW II, after the war he decided to returned to England to live.
Document Archive
A collection of documents relating to Bob Parsons and Michael Claydon.
The Claydon Archives