Wollaton Hall, Nottingham
Wollaton Hall & Gardens, about 5 km west of Nottingham Castle in Nottingham, is a fine Elizabethan manor house that now holds both the Nottingham Natural History Museum and the smaller Nottingham Industrial Museum.
The large grounds play hosts to numerous outdoor events and are also used for film shoots including the Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises.
The architect is thought to be Robert Smythson, who also designed Longleat House in Wiltshire and nearby Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire.
History
The house is known as a so-called "prodigy house" that is a luxurious house built by an Elizabethan courtier or wealthy family to house Queen Elizabeth I on her frequent travels around the country. The construction of such houses helped to raise the prestige and importance of the families involved.
The main building is three floors high with the Prospect Room having views over the surrounding Deer Park. There are towers at each corner and a basement cut into the bedrock.
Sir Francis Willoughby, who made his money from the local coal mines, commissioned the grand residence. It was built between 1580 and 1588 in limestone from Lincolnshire. The workers also received payment, supposedly, in coal.
The house has Italian, Dutch and French influences on its design.
Refurbishments continued from the 17th through to 19th centuries. These include the addition of several important paintings from the age and the house's large pipe organ.
By the end of the 19th century, the house was too close to the "smoke and activity" of the growing industrial town of Nottingham for the Willoughbys, who tried to let the property in 1881 but it fell vacant, with no-one able to meet the rent.
The hall was eventually bought by Nottingham Council in 1925, and opened as the Nottingham Natural History Museum a year later in 1926.
Nottingham Natural History Museum
The museum has a diverse collection of around 750,000 objects. Indeed, Nottingham Natural History Museum claims to be the largest dedicated natural history museum in the county.
The exhibits include eggs, fossils, minerals, plants, rocks, shells and specimens of animals, birds and insects from around the world, though the majority originate in the British Isles.
There is free entry to the museum and Deer Park.
Nottingham Industrial Museum
The Industrial Museum highlights Nottingham's proud industrial heritage including the city's famous lace industry. There are further exhibits on transport through the ages.
The Basford Beam Engine is also on display here. It was built in 1858 by R.W. Hawthorn and was one of two installed at nearby Basford Pumping Station. The engines raised water from over 30 meters underground.
Volunteers are on hand to explain what is on show.
Access
Wollaton Hall & Deer Park
Nottingham
Nottinghamshire
NG8 2AE
Tel: 0115 876 3100
www: wollatonhall.org.uk
Wollaton Hall is 3 miles (5 km) west of Nottingham city centre. Follow the signs from the A52 or the A6514. From the north-south M1 motorway take junction 25 and follow the signs.
Hotels
Nottingham has a wide range of accommodation options to choose from.
These include the four-star De Vere Orchard Hotel, adjacent to the East Midlands Conference Centre, the centrally-located Hart's Hotel, also four stars, Jurys Inn Nottingham and the three-star Holiday Inn Nottingham at Castle Marina Park.
See a complete listing of hotels in Nottingham.
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