About

Dilhorne Recreation Centre is situated within the village of Dilhorne, an ancient parish in Staffordshire. It is located three miles from Cheadle, Staffordshire, and six miles from the city of Stoke on Trent.

Set in just under 3 acres of recreation grounds, the Trust boasts a recently refurbished children’s playground, a bowling green and beautifully tended gardens. There is an ancient ice house, which used to be part of Dilhorne Hall – where the bowling green now stands. The gatehouse is now a private residence, and from the village hall, you can see the beautiful lakes – now a fishing club. The Centre and its grounds were passed by the Coalboard in the 1960s in trust to the village, and the surrounding community. Today, the Centre is managed by a willing group of Trustees and “Friends” of Dilhorne.

Dilhorne Hall

Reginald Manningham-Buller, 1st Viscount Dilhorne was born in Amersham, the only son of Sir Mervyn Manningham-Buller, grandson of Sir Edward Manningham-Buller, 1^st Baronet of Dilhorne. His mother was the Hon Lilah, daugher of Charles Cavendish, 3^rd Baron Chesham. His uncle's seat of Dilhorne Hall passed to an heiress who was ineligible for the baronetcy, he made his home in Northamptonshire.

Although locals now pronounce the village name "Dill-horn", Manningham-Buller preferred the previous pronunciation of "Dill-urn". He was educated at Eton, and went on to Magdalen College, Oxford, before being called to the Bar in 1927.

He had a son, John, who succeeded him in the title, and three daughters, the second daughter, Elizabeth Lydia "Eliza" Manningham-Buller, Baroness Manningham-Buller, was Director General of MI5 from October 2002 until her retirement on 20 April 2007, aged 58.