Have you seen Bridgford Hall recently? Scaffolding has gone up and it looks like work has started to renovate the much loved Grade II listed building. If you don't know which building I'm talking about it's slap-bang in the middle of West Bridgford just behind Alfresco's Cafe in Bridgford Park (behind the library), you can't miss it if you head for the park.
It's a beautiful Georgian building with a rich history and Rushcliffe Borough Council has secured £1.5m of Heritage Lottery Funding to return it to its former glory. Local conservation specialists Woodhead Heritage have been engaged to manage the total refurbishment and renovation, and preserve and protect the building's heritage.
The Council used the Hall until 2012 when they vacated most of the building except for the ground floor, which was the Reigstrar's Office and stayed until January 2014 when it was relocated in preparation for the redevelopment.
It's a beautiful Georgian building with a rich history and Rushcliffe Borough Council has secured £1.5m of Heritage Lottery Funding to return it to its former glory. Local conservation specialists Woodhead Heritage have been engaged to manage the total refurbishment and renovation, and preserve and protect the building's heritage.
The Council used the Hall until 2012 when they vacated most of the building except for the ground floor, which was the Reigstrar's Office and stayed until January 2014 when it was relocated in preparation for the redevelopment.
Bridgford Hall, Courtesy of Rushcliffe Borough Council
When the work is completed the ground floor will house the Registrar's Office and the wedding and registration services will operate from there again, and the first and second floors will be an 'aparthotel' with seven self-contained apartments run by Birchover Residences, bringing 11 new jobs to the area. Newly married couples and their guests will be able to stay in the aparthotel after their ceremony and it will welcome visitors to West Bridgford at other times.
The early days of the hall
Mundy Musters of Colwick, Lord Manor of West Bridgford, started building the hall in 1768. After he died his son, John, took over the project, and the hall was completed in 1774. In 1805 John married Mary Chaworth (who Lord Byron was in love with at the time and wrote his poem 'Fragment about Mary' about her), who was from another major Nottinghamshire family.
Once they were married John and Mary lived at Annesley, the home of the Chaworth family, rather than in John's ancestral home so the hall was let out to tenants for most of the 19th century. Except maybe between 1813 and 1816 when they separated at Mary's request because of John's infidelity!
In 1883, Bridgford Hall was sold to Albert Heymann, a wealthy lace manufacturer whose father perhaps did more to expand the lace trade in Nottingham than anyone else and is also credited with inventing lace curtains. You learn something every day!
The 20th century
Rather less glamorously the hall was bought by West Bridgford Urban District Council in 1923 to be used as office space. The hall was Grade II listed in 1949 (it was one of the first buildings in the country to be listed) and when Rushcliffe Borough Council was set up in 1972 it took over ownership and use of the hall. In 1982 Nottinghamshire County Council's moved the Registrar's Office there where it remained until 2014.
You can still find reminders of the Musters-Chaworth connection around West Bridgford today. As much of the local area was part of Bridgford Hall's estate, when it was sold off two streets were named after their former owners: Musters Road and Chaworth Road. For more on the history of the hall pop over to this article on West Bridgford Wire.
The early days of the hall
Mundy Musters of Colwick, Lord Manor of West Bridgford, started building the hall in 1768. After he died his son, John, took over the project, and the hall was completed in 1774. In 1805 John married Mary Chaworth (who Lord Byron was in love with at the time and wrote his poem 'Fragment about Mary' about her), who was from another major Nottinghamshire family.
Once they were married John and Mary lived at Annesley, the home of the Chaworth family, rather than in John's ancestral home so the hall was let out to tenants for most of the 19th century. Except maybe between 1813 and 1816 when they separated at Mary's request because of John's infidelity!
In 1883, Bridgford Hall was sold to Albert Heymann, a wealthy lace manufacturer whose father perhaps did more to expand the lace trade in Nottingham than anyone else and is also credited with inventing lace curtains. You learn something every day!
The 20th century
Rather less glamorously the hall was bought by West Bridgford Urban District Council in 1923 to be used as office space. The hall was Grade II listed in 1949 (it was one of the first buildings in the country to be listed) and when Rushcliffe Borough Council was set up in 1972 it took over ownership and use of the hall. In 1982 Nottinghamshire County Council's moved the Registrar's Office there where it remained until 2014.
You can still find reminders of the Musters-Chaworth connection around West Bridgford today. As much of the local area was part of Bridgford Hall's estate, when it was sold off two streets were named after their former owners: Musters Road and Chaworth Road. For more on the history of the hall pop over to this article on West Bridgford Wire.
The Bowling Green, Central Avenue, with the hall in the background
So, the hall is now being sensitively restored for locals and visitors to enjoy and the next chapter in its history will begin soon, with all of the work due to be completed by April 1 2017. The Registrar's Office will soon be back there, registering births and marriages, and apparently there's already a waiting list for weddings!
If you're visiting West Bridgford why not pop and see the hall? Even though you can't go inside at the moment it's still worth a visit, and you can always grab a coffee at Alfresco's on the way!
And if you need some accommodation while you're in the area drop us a line to enquire about our luxury serviced apartments in central West Bridgford.
If you're visiting West Bridgford why not pop and see the hall? Even though you can't go inside at the moment it's still worth a visit, and you can always grab a coffee at Alfresco's on the way!
And if you need some accommodation while you're in the area drop us a line to enquire about our luxury serviced apartments in central West Bridgford.
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