By the start of the 18th century, Needwood Forest had been harvested for its timber, and extensively redeveloped as pasture. In 1750 Field MarshalGeorge Townshend, the first Marquess Townshend, had married Lady Charlotte Compton, who had inherited Tamworth Castle and therefore succeeded to the de Ferrers barony. As it had become fashionable to have a solitary retreat, in 1754 Lord Townshend subsequently acquired the leasehold of what was now known as Byrkley Lodge, which he rebuilt as a weekend hunting lodge. By 1775, the only buildings on the former Needwood Forest plateau were Byrkley Lodge, Yoxall Lodge to the south, and Hanbury Park Farm3 miles north. In 1786, Arthur Chichester, the 1st Marquess of Donegall bought the lodge from Lord Townshend, including his collection of water colour paintings. During his residence, the Marquis began introducing albino rabbits to the grounds, which by the time he died in 1799 had become naturally wild. By this time Richard Lovell Edgeworth had acquired Yoxall Lodge, and the second and third of his four wives were both sisters of Rear AdmiralEdward Sneyd Clay. Through this association the lodge was eventually acquired by Sneyd, on whose death in 1846 it passed to his only daughter, Emma. Emma Sneyd had attended the wedding of her close friend, the son of Thomas Gisborne of Yoxall Lodge, who married Mary, the daughter of brewer Michael Thomas Bass, Sr. In 1850, Emma agreed to rent Byrkley Lodge to Mary's brother, Michael Thomas Bass, Jr. Sneyd placed extensive conditions within the lease for the upkeep of the grounds, to which the Bass family during its residence added that hunting or capture of the albino rabbits was strictly forbidden. On Bass's death, the estate passed to his son Hamar Alfred Bass, who after rebuilding the main house between 1887 and 1891, founded a racing horse stud within the extensive grounds. The Byrkley Stud produced and trained "Love Wisely" which won the Ascot Gold Cup in 1896. Bass was also for 12 years master of the Meynell Hunt. On the death of Hamar in April 1898, the estate passed to his son, Sir William Bass, 2nd Baronet. Known as Billy Bass, he was most noted for his ownership of racehorses. He was a member and steward of the Jockey Club, on the National Hunt committee, and joint Master of the Royal Hunt. His stable enjoyed his first success in the Cesarewitch Handicap in 1903 with Grey Tick, and he also owned the horses Rosedrop, Cyllene and Sceptre. He was a Steward of the Pony Turf Club and was involved in the foundation of Northolt Park Racecourse in 1929. Sir William married Lady Noreen Hastings, second daughter of the 14th Earl of Huntingdon and a notable sportswoman, in 1903. Lady Noreen Bass was noted for snubbing Winston Churchill's mother Mrs George Cornwallis-West at Newmarket races in 1909.
Demolition
Billy Bass died in 1952, without having any children, leading to the extinction of the baronetcy. He left his fortune to his wife's nephew, the trainer Peter Hastings who changed his name to Hastings-Bass. Peter's eldest son William Edward Robin Hood Hastings-Bass is the present and 17th Earl of Huntingdon. The estate was sold off in 1952, shortly after which the main house was demolished. The Byrkley Stud survived for some time, but was also later demolished.
