History factfile

• The last big cockfighting pit to be built in Britain before the sport was banned was built in Melton. There was room for 500 spectators in the Goodriche Street venue.

• Cribb's Lodge farm was named in honour of the first defence of the World Heavyweight Championship, which was held in Melton. Englishman Tom Cribb defended his title against American Tom Molyneux and won after a 19 minute fight.

As hunting became more and more a feature of life in Melton Mowbray, many influential and important people began to come and stay for the hunting season.

Society gents had to find suitable places to stay and although some lodged in hotels or stayed with friends, the most common practice was to join a club.

And at Melton, the most exclusive and most famous was the Old Club, described in Queen of the Shires as “the social hub of the hunting set.”

First called the Melton Club, the Old Club was established in the early 1800s in Burton Street, now next to the Blakeney Institute.

As Melton’s reputation grew so did the desire to be a member of the Old Club, and competition was fierce – especially considering it only had four bedrooms.

Members would throw huge dinner parties for hunting friends and often after dinner

horses would be auctioned.

Horse owners often did their bidding after several bottles of claret and were bemused to discover what they had bought.

Jack Brownlow records: “The Old Club gave shelter and hospitality to many roistering, rollicking squires, men noted for their hunting, racing, cockfighting and gambling.”

And, he says, it was after dinner at the Old Club one evening that Alec Goodwin once rode a hunter into the room, round the table and out again. On another occasion, he won a bet by jumping his horse over the dining table which was fully laden with dishes and decanters.

Scores of characters took up residence at the club. In 1814 came the arrival of new members who came to be known as the Dandy Cult. Maj Gen Berkley Craven, called the Gambling Dandy, was the Old Club tenant for several seasons and his guests included the Prince

Regent and the Duke of York. His friends were Rufus Lloyd, the Red Dandy, Henry Manvers Pierrepoint, the Plebian Dandy and the renowned horseman John Mills, the Mosaic Dandy.

The king of them all was Beau Brummell, a friend of the Prince of Wales who was an eccentric character at the forefront of society and fashion.

In 1818, the four Ms began their reign – Valentine Maher, John Moore, James Musgrave and James Maxse, who bought the club in 1821.

Between 1808 and 1835 the list of associate members of the club was quite impressive. They included MPs, landed gentry and James Thomas Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan who later led the Charge of the Light Brigade.

By 1844, the Old Club had fizzled out and only James Musgrave was left – the house was left unoccupied for some time and the following year it was on the market.