Wollaton Hall

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Wollaton Hall in the late 18th century. Engraving by M A Rooker after a drawing by Thomas Sandby

Wollaton Hall in 1880

Wollaton Hall 2005, summer evening

Wollaton Park and outbuilding

Wollaton Hall is a country house in Wollaton, Nottingham, England completed in 1588 for Sir Francis Willoughby by the Elizabethan architect, Robert Smythson (also the architect of Hardwick Hall). The building consists of a high central hall, surrounded by four towers. Unfortunately, Smythson's interior was destroyed by fire and remodelling was carried out by Sir Jeffry Wyattville in 1801.

The gallery of the main hall contains Nottinghamshire's oldest pipe organ, thought to date from the end of the seventeenth century, possibly by the builder Gerard Smith. It is still blown by hand.

Now owned by the Nottingham City Council, it currently houses Francis Willughby and John Ray's natural history collection of stuffed animals and birds.

In 1855 Joseph Paxton designed a near replica of Wollaton Hall in Buckinghamshire, now known as Mentmore Towers.

The grounds, Wollaton Park, are the home to the Intercounties Cross Country trials in March of each year, as well as many other events. In this park, during World War II members of the U.S. 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment were billeted waiting to be parachuted into Europe. A small plaque commemorates this event.

The hall is currently closed until Easter 2007 due to extensive refurbishments.

[edit] Industrial Museum

Wollaton Hall contains an Industrial Museum, with a display of Textile, Transport and Technology from Nottingham's past, including the Basford Beam Engine, a fully operational analogue telephone network, a display of cycles, motor cycles and motor cars linked to the city and some of the most important lace making machinery that put Nottingham on the textile map.

The Steam Engine House has a fully operational Steaming Day run by the Nottingham Arkwright Society [1] on the last Sunday of every month.

The Industrial Museum is accessed through the Courtyard Stables shop and via the Wollaton Visitor Centre.