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.

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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.

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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.

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