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HISTORY
REPEATS ITSELF AT GEORGE HALL - THE HOUSE THAT BOBBY BUILT!
It
is often said that history repeats itself, and it is surely
more than coincidence that BOBBY GEORGE, acknowledged as
one of the most famous and colourful 'archers' in the most
traditional of British sports, has built his family home
and estate GEORGE HALL, ARDLEIGH on land once
bequeathed by the King of England, William The Conqueror,
to the nobleman Geoffrey de Mangaville, as reward for his
loyalty during the period in English history known as the
Norman Conquest.
There
is an inextricable link between darts and the ancient skills
of archery. The fabled archers of England played a pivotal
role in the history of Britain. However, while they fired
their arrows from longbows, today's darts players throw
their 'arrows' at a dartboard.
And
the links do not end there, because English archers were
thought to have 'invented' the original game of darts (or
at least an early version of it) to relieve boredom between
battles. It has been written that they would break their
arrows in half, attach a smaller flight, and then throw
them at the ends of beer barrels, using the central 'bung'
as the precursor of the 'bullseye' which is now the central
focal point of the dartboard (as well as being the bull
in the standard archery target).
Historical
facts or just amazing coincidence? Whatever the case, Bobby
George is acutely aware that the land which surrounds his
impressive, self-built home is steeped in English history.
Indeed, the original 'Manor of Martells' was actually named
in the Doomsday Book.
Martells
Hall is named as 'the fourth manor of Ardleigh', and the
name of Martell (meaning 'hammer') is well represented in
and around the area. It is chronicled that Martell was the
name of the family who lived on the land now occupied by
George Hall as 'under-tenants' soon after the Norman Conquest
and the famous Battle of Hastings in 1066. They were wealthy
landowners who also possessed an estate called Martells
Hall in Rivenhall.
Today,
George Hall, formerly the site of a magnificent Roman Villa
occupies an elevated position grandly overlooking two magnificent
fishing lakes and some 12 acres of land. |
