The history of Woodborough Hall dates back to Saxon England in the 7th Century, where a wooden fortification called 'Udeburg' was built on this site. Udeburg in Old English translates to 'Wooden Fort', and it's where Woodborough gets its name from.

​

The location next appears a few centuries later in the Domesday Book (1086), noting that years before a Saxon Thane called 'Ulchel' owned a Manor here and 540 acres of land. The Manor and lands was gifted by William the Conqueror to his loyal friend and knight William Peverel, who later gifted it to another Norman knight called 'Ralf' who took on the surname 'de Wodeburg', thus starting the family line. The Manor stayed in possession of the de Wodeburgs until 1336, when it passed to Richard de Strelley, who was the son of the infamous Sir Sampson de Strelley who built the chancel in St. Swithun's Church years before.

​

Woodborough Manor would remain in Strelley hands for nearly 300 years, until the property and lands passed over to an Isabel Bold, whose grandson Strelley Bold sold the estate to George Lacock in 1640. The Strelley family were Royalists and supported Charles I in defending the Crown. Unfortunately this played a big part in the family's downfall, as their finances were being rinsed dry. This meant that they had to sell up estates to cut their losses, and it just so happened they came across George Lacock, a wealthy solicitor from Nottingham who bought the estate.

​

In 1660, George's grandson Philip Lacock made a drastic decision by pulling down the Medieval Manor and replacing it with a then modern two story house, featuring a tiled and gabled roof. Philip died in 1668, and the property was passed onto one of his daughters, of whom they gave possession of the Hall to the Bainbridge family, where Elizabeth Bainbridge a spinster is documented to have lived there. Elizabeth was a very likeable character to the community, and it must've been a very sad day when she passed away in 1797. After her passing, the Hall went to the Story family, with the new owner Reverend Philip Story being distantly related to the Lacocks. He removed the tiled and gabled roof, and added a second level to the house.

​

In 1842, the Hall and 53 acre land was sold to John Ingall Werg, making this the second sale of land since the Norman Conquest. However, it written that John had "invested unwisely" and soon put the estate up for sale. He eventually sold Woodborough Hall for £4,500 in 1852 to very interesting character, Mansfield Parkyns, the son of Sir Thomas Parkyns, 5th Baronet. Mansfield Parkyns was a famous explorer in his time, who carried out multiple expeditions to Egypt and Abyssinia, even documenting his travels in his diary, which later became a book called 'Life in Abyssinia'. Upon coming back to England, he returned to Nottinghamshire, where he purchased the house and lived there with his wife and eight daughters. He was also an incredible wood carver, who remodelled the Oak Staircase in the Hall, as well as the choir stalls in St Swithun's Church. It's also likely that the stained glass windows on the Grand Staircase were installed during Mansfield's tenure, as they feature the Parkyns Coat of Arms. In 1862, Mansfield briefly did a stint with the Sherwood Foresters, and became Colonel Parkyns, just like his ancestor Isham Parkyns during the English Civil War. He retired from work in 1884, and took up farming as well as landscaping the gardens of Woodborough Hall. Mansfield Parkyns lived an exciting and adventurous life, and on the 12th January 1894, Mansfield went to his grave.

​

During the outbreak of World War 2, the British Government purchased Woodborough Hall and had the Nottinghamshire A.O.C. Number 12 Fighter Group occupy it. Some famous names who visited and possibly stayed at the Hall during this time, included Trafford Leigh Mallory and Air Vice-Marshall R. L. M. Atcherley. The Hall was sold in 1959 to the British Army, and later to a Mr. Oxby in 1984.

​

The Hall was converted into a nursing home in 1988, and in recent years, Woodborough is now a wedding and events venue, and our new home for spooky ghost hunts.

​

​