The Sun reporting on the re-opening of the World's Oldest Treehouse in the grounds of Pitchford Hall.
PERCHED high among the tree branches sits a small tree house, the perfect playhouse for adventurous children.
But it’s not just any tree house, with the small hut believed to be one of the oldest in the world – and even providing a spot for Queen Victoria to explore before she ascended to the throne.
Known as The Tree House, the quaint hut dates back to at least 1692 and sits in a large leaved lime tree at Pitchford Estate, a 1,000 acre property on the edge of Shropshire Hill Country.
The area is riddled with history, having played host to Princess Victoria before she became Queen, with it even rumoured that Prince Rupert hid in the priest’s hole after the siege of Shrewsbury.
It was even marked out by Sir Winston Churchill, who proposed that the Tudor property be a bolt hole for the Royal family had England been invaded during the Second World War.
But now, the property sits in peace, undergoing extensive renovations thanks to owners James Nason and Rowena Colthurst.
The couple have dedicated their time to renovating Pitchford Hall, a timber-framed home that was left to decay for 25 years.
The property was previously owned by Ms Colthurst’s family, but had to be sold off in 1992, with the next owner using the stables as a stud farm but never moving into the main house.
But the couple, with their three children, became determined to buy back the property and, since their successful purchase, are now working to restore it to its former glory.
The new owners often share gorgeous photos of the estate on social media, documenting their tireless efforts in restoring the property on social media.
Speaking to the Shropshire Star, Mr Nason said: “We had been building up to this for 25 years and it was like our dream had come true. Since we moved in, we have been hard at work and the children have loved every moment of it.
“It is the best place for hide and seek and they have loved exploring.”
The family is hopeful that they will be able to re-open the property before Christmas.
Mr Nason said he was hopeful that the property would become part of the community, saying: “We felt that for many years people had forgotten about Pitchford.
“Everyone who lives in the village would see the hall as they drove by but to outsiders it was forgotten.
“We want to have the support of Shropshire and beyond to really get this place restored. We will be preserving the English heritage.”
Guests can book access to the treehouse through the Estate during their stay. It is about 300m from Tree House Barn and you can see it from the house and garden.
Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3369945/worlds-oldest-treehouse-queen-victoria/