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On the death of William de
Colwick in 1362, the estate passed by the marriage of his daughter Joan,
into the Byron family which they inhabited for more than 150 years. They
held it until about 1660, when it came into the possession of the
Musters. All the older buildings disappeared when the present Hall was
erected in 1775-6, soon after the coming-of-age of John Musters, (father
of the husband of Byron's 'Mary.') There is a famous painting by George
Stubbs of John and Sophia Musters riding at Colwick showing the newly
built hall in 1777. The house consisted of an elegant centre, crowned
with a pediment, resting on four well proportioned Ionic pillars, and
joined by two wings of one lofty storey with an entablature, supported
by square pilasters, with plain capitols, and lightened much in its
effect by a handsome balustraded parapet.
The new additions were built
in 1776 by Samuel Stretton of Nottingham, from an architectural design
of John Carr of York, and was originally enclosed with a deep moat, and
had a draw bridge on the north side of the hall. There was a reed-grown
lakelet in the grounds which was a remnant of an artificial water
course, conducting the waters of the Trent to turn a mill. This had
existed just below the hall since the Saxon period, and was the cause of
constant disputes between the owners of Colwick and their neighbours
concerning the amount of water that it was allowable to divert from the
main river. At one time so much water was taken that the navigation of
the river was impeded. In 1805 Mary Chaworth, Byron's childhood
love-interest from Annesley Hall, married Jack Musters of Colwick,
creating the name Chaworth-Musters by which the family is still known
today.
In 1831, during the Second
Reform Bill riots, Colwick Hall was sacked by an excited mob. Mary
Chaworth Musters spent the night shivering in pouring rain with her
daughter Sophia, crouched beneath the shrubbery, while the Hall was
looted and partially set on fire. She died a few months later from the
shock at Wiverton Hall some four months after the riot. In 1896 the Hall
was sold to the Nottingham Racecourse Company - the racecourse opened in
1892, the Hall became a public house and the rest of the building were
used to accommodate grooms and jockeys.
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Nottingham Corporation
acquired the Hall from the Racecourse Company in 1965. The house had
magnificent Spanish mahogany doors, its moulded architraves, elegant
staircase, and fireplaces carried out in multi-coloured marbles and
enriched with decoration in the style of the Adam brothers.
Inherited by Byron's
ancestor Sir Richard Byron in 1362. The Byrons inhabited Colwick for
more than 150 years before they moved to Newstead Abbey. Colwick was
then bought by the Musters family.
In 1805 Mary Chaworth,
Byron's childhood love-interest from Annesley Hall, married Jack Musters
of Colwick, creating the name Chaworth-Musters by which the family is
still known today. In 1831, during the Second Reform Bill riots, Colwick
Hall was sacked by an excited mob. Mary Chaworth Musters spent the night
shivering in pouring rain with her daughter Sophia, crouched beneath the
shrubbery, while the Hall was looted and partially set on fire.
The building then fell into
disrepair in the last 50 years and was saved by Chek Whyte, a local
builder who won a bid to restore the building. Much effort has gone into
the restoration programme and we now have an elegant building restored
at great cost.
The building, however,
needed a high quality sustainable business to maintain it in the future
and Pearl Hotels and Restaurants are delighted to have acquired Colwick
Hall to take it into this next exciting phase. Pearl Group operates
hotels and premium restaurants in London, Leeds, Birmingham, Nottingham,
Kenilworth and Stratford Upon Avon.
They will provide the high
degree of professionalism that Colwick Hall needs to once again become
Nottingham's Premier Function Venue. The management team at Colwick Hall
welcome guests to visit Colwick Hall to see it return to its former
glory and look forward to serving guests for the grand functions, both
private and corporate alike.
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