Thorpe Hall - The Lady in the Green Dress

Thorpe Hall in Louth, Lincolnshire dates back to 1596. Itmagnificent gardens and parkland laid out by Gertrude
was originally owned by Sir John Bolles. During anJekyll. The present Hall was built in 1584 for Sir John
expedition with Sir Walter Raleigh to Cadiz he wasBolle. Sir John died at Thorpe Hall in 1606. He was
captured by the Spaniards and spent time in aburied in Haugh Church where a monument was
dungeon. A wealthy Spanish noblewoman, Donnaerected to his memory. After the death of Sir John's
Leonora Oviedo, passed by his cell which looked ontowidow in 1647, his son, Sir Charles Bolle, felt that the
the street. She bought him food and eventually bribedGreen Lady's personality still breathed at the hall. In
his jailers to release him.time Thorpe Hall passed through a succession of
When he went back to England she begged him to letowners to John Fytche son of Stephen Fytche, vicar
her follow. He refused and told her he was happilyof Louth, and a first cousin to the Tennyson brothers.
married. She let him go with a portrait of herself in herIn 1872 John Lewis Fytche visited London and saw the
favourite green dress and he promised to hang it in hischurch of St Mildred's in the Poultry, designed by Sir
home.Christopher Wren, being demolished.
Some months after he had left she followed him toHe arranged for the church to be transported back to
England and killed herself in Thorpe Park Gardens.Lincolnshire to build a private chapel. He had all the
John Bolles hung her picture and laid a place at thestones crated up and taken to the banks of the
dinner table in her honour.Thames.
She can be seen walking the Garden some nights inFrom there they were lowered on to barges and
the hope that she should see John Bolles again. She istaken out to the North Sea, up the coastline to Tetney
the lady in the Green Dress.and on to the Louth canal.
About Thorpe Hall - Situated in 20 acres of