Riddings House (SLHS JOF 020)
| Photo ID #: | 1848 | |
| Description: | Riddings House: multi-photos on a postcard | |
| Category: | Oakes Family | |
| Location: | Oakes Family & Residences | |
| Date Range: | ||
Riddings House was the ancestral home of the Oakes family. The Oakes family came to Riddings when James Oakes married SaraH Haden, daughter of a Derby Surgeon and moved from the town to develop Riddings Ironworks and expand coal mining in the village. He took a paternal interest in his employees and by 1830 Riddings House was the focal point of the Alfreton area.
Like all big houses Riddings House has its ghost story"Just before the war, great aunt Georgina was told that a lady was sitting in the hall waiting to see her. When the lady was described she saw a strong resemblance to Marian Oakes, who had died about 30 years earlier, and when she went into the hall the lady was gone" said Mrs Oakes. She has never seen the ghost but Mrs Oakes says that occasionally there is a friendly feeling of someone walking along the corridor. The interview with Mrs Oakes was in 1978-79 just before they moved out of the house.