Wollaton Historical & Conservation Society

Before the Norman Conquest in 1066, the manor at what is now Wollaton, comprising around 180 acres, was held by Wulfsi the Noble, an Anglo-Saxon landowner. The settlement's name is thought to derive from the Old English Wulfāfes tūn, meaning "the homestead of Wulfāf".

Following the Conquest, the settlement was officially recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 under the Normanised spelling of Olaveston and held by William Peverel. Peverel installed Warner de Codnor to manage the estate, and Warner's son, Robert, eventually took the family name of Morteyn.

By 1176, Robert's son, Adam de Morteyn, was described as Lord of the Manor. During this time, the family lived in a house probably situated on the site of the Old Rectory.

The Morteyn family remained in ownership of the estate until 1314, when Sir Richard de Willoughby, descended from a rich Nottingham wool merchant, purchased the land. With this sale, Sir Richard became the Lord of the Manor, and his son, also named Richard, later perpetuated the link with the previous owners through his marriage to Isabelle Morteyn.

The name Wollaton evolved over several centuries from its earlier forms. Although the Domesday Book of 1086 recorded the settlement as Olaveston, surviving records show a variety of spellings over the following centuries, including Wullaveton, Weleston and Weloton. By the early 14th century, the name had developed into a form recognisably close to Wollaton.

It was not until the 1460s that the Willoughbys moved to Wollaton, where they probably either rebuilt or expanded the manor house ("Old Hall"). The Willoughbys' wealth derived from substantial coal mines in the parish as well as their extensive land holdings. Sir Henry Willoughby, who was buried in St Leonard's Church in 1528, died one of the richest men in England.

His great-grandson, Sir Francis Willoughby, set about building Wollaton Hall (1580-1588) on top of a nearby hill, surrounded by a park. One of the foremost English architects of the 16th century, Robert Smythson, was brought in as professional master surveyor. Wollaton Hall was built from Ancaster stone from Lincolnshire and is now considered one of the finest Elizabethan buildings in the country; it was a true sensation of its age. The architectural style is described as advanced Elizabethan with early Jacobean elements.

You can read more about Robert Smythson in one of our articles.

Wollaton Hall main entrance (north elevation)
(Photo by Robert Bourne)

In 1712, Sir Francis's great-great-grandson, Thomas Willoughby, became the 1st Baron Middleton (Lord Middleton). He substantially altered the interior of Wollaton Hall but, like most of his successors, spent little time there. The 5th Baron Middleton, Henry Willoughby, began building the new stable block in 1743, with further additions in 1774 and 1829. He may also have been responsible for almost completely rebuilding Wollaton Village after 1750. Major alterations were made to Wollaton Hall in the early 19th century, with Jeffry Wyatville undertaking the remodelling.

By the 1860s, the family had moved their principal residence to Birdsall House in Yorkshire, and Wollaton Hall was occupied only during occasional family visits. In 1881, the Willoughby family considered the Hall to be "too near the smoke and busy activity of a large manufacturing town".

Facing substantial death duties, the 10th Baron Middleton, Godfrey Willoughby, decided to sell the family's estates in Nottingham, Middleton and Yorkshire. Following his death in 1924, his son, Michael Guy Percival Willoughby, the 11th Baron Middleton, completed the sale of Wollaton Hall and Park in May 1925. Nottingham Corporation (now Nottingham City Council) purchased the Hall and Park for £200,000, on the condition that both the Hall and a substantial part of the Park would be retained. (The sale catalogue for the wider Wollaton Estate is available to WHaCS members in the Members Only archive.)

Nottingham Corporation subsequently developed the eastern part of the Park, creating a new road, Middleton Boulevard, with housing on either side. A further 140 acres of Wollaton Park were given over to Wollaton Park Golf Club, which opened in 1927. The whole of Wollaton Parish was incorporated into the city of Nottingham in 1933.

The Nottingham Natural History Museum has been housed in Wollaton Hall since 1926. The stable block is also home to the Nottingham Industrial Museum, which opened to the public in 1971. Wollaton Hall is a Grade I listed building, first listed in 1952, while the Park is Grade II listed, along with a number of its associated buildings.

Did you know? Back in 2011, Wollaton Hall was used as the location for Wayne Manor in Christopher Nolan's film The Dark Knight Rises. Batman might not be with us now, but we certainly do have Bats in the Dovecote.

Written by Robert Binger, October 2026