In September, Ed and Val Stone visited Staunton Country Park. Ed is the great grandson of William Stone, who built the house that once overlooked the lake and is now marked by the outline of the original foundations.
Ed lives in Canada and only discovered his connection to Staunton in 2012 when doing some research on his family background. Now he is the President of the Friends of Staunton Country Park. Ed was delighted to see all the developments that have taken place in the park over recent years. On a tour arranged by the Friends and Staunton’s management team, Ed was excited to see the changes at the old coach-house and the Shell House, the redevelopment of Storey Gardens with the loving care of the Right to Work team, archaeological finds around the park, the improved paths and new facilities for users of all ages.
Ed commented that he was pleased to hear the clock in the coach-house chiming once again and is looking forward to seeing the original mechanism displayed as a working model when sufficient funds have been raised. (Donations can be made through the Friends’ web-site at: www.foscp.co.uk)
During his visit, Ed was presented with a copy of a new booklet written by Steve Jones, which gives a timeline of the mansion from construction to demolition and which will soon be available to the public from the Friends of Staunton Country Park.