When I was about four or five I first visited Thornton and stayed at Little Hill Farm on the North side of the River Ouse with Mr and Mrs Marchant. Mrs. Marchant had been my Mother's Governess before she married a farmer and went to live at Little Hill Farm. My twin brother, our Nanny and I used to spend our holidays there from 1936-7 to the early 1950s and in later years I worked on the farm.

We went to church on Sundays at Thornton College with the nuns and the school girls.

As a child, I got to know many of the nuns, especially Sister Annunciata who was very interested in the history of Thornton House. She collected many of the records, maps and postcards which have been used on this website, which in the 1960s she lent to me to copy onto slide film.

She showed me round the house and told me about the hidden roof of 1460 by the chapel (roof number 2) which, a few years later, I managed to get in to and realised the importance of this structure. The enthusiam she had inspired me to further research the house and the estate. We organised guided tours and she became an honorary member of the Wolverton and District Archaeological Society, of which I was Chairman.

I have continued to research Thornton since the 1960s, regularly giving talks and guided tours of the site.

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