Woodborough’s Heritage

Woodborough, a Sherwood Forest Village, recorded in Domesday



Woodborough Hall - The Lacocks, Bainbrigges & the Storys by Nicholas Kingsley



William Bainbrigge (1686-1736), was succeeded at Lockington in turn by his sons John (1718-1736) and Philip Harley Bainbrigge (1719-1769). When the latter died without issue, the property passed to his unmarried sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, who lived at Woodborough Hall. When Elizabeth died, her estates were left to a maternal cousin, the Rev. Philip Story (c.1747-1819), who had been rector of Lockington since 1777 and perhaps occupying the hall. He promptly undertook a major remodelling of the house. His changes, which had been completed by 1804, involved adding the attic storey, stuccoing the house, and giving it sashes with moulded surrounds and a Tuscan colonnade between the wings. A second pedimented doorway was also added to the north side, and the interiors were almost completely redecorated. The main rooms are those on the ground and first floors in the centre of the east front; the upper one has an Adam-style plaster ceiling and lower one a good Classical chimneypiece. Once again, the architect is unknown.

When the Rev’d. Philip Story died in 1819, Lockington passed to his son, John Bainbrigge Story (1779-1827), who was killed by the fall of a ship's mast while travelling between Geneva and Lucerne. He was succeeded by his son and namesake (1813-1872), but after he died the property was sold to Nathaniel Charles Curzon (1829-1897). He made further alterations, including the addition of two square bay windows on the south side and the porte-cochere on the north front, and most importantly added two large brick service wings at the rear, which doubled the size of the house. Inside, the west half of the centre of the house was made into a large staircase hall, with a weak 18th-century style staircase. The house continued to be occupied by the family until the death of John Curzon in 1972, after which it was leased to the Architects Design Partnership, who converted it to offices. Subsequently, the former Coach House was converted into offices and new office buildings have been erected within the former kitchen garden. 

Descent: William Bainbrigge (c.1535-1617); to son, John Bainbrigge (1573-1643); to son, William Bainbrigge (1605-1669); to grandson, John Bainbrigge (1658-1717); to son, William Bainbrigge (1686-1736); to son, John Bainbrigge (1718-1736); to brother, Philip Harley Bainbrigge (1719-1769); to sisters Mary Bainbrigge (1714-1779) and Elizabeth Bainbrigge (1716-1797); to cousin, Rev. Philip Story (c.1747-1819); to son, John Bainbrigge Story (1779-1827); to son, Major John Bainbrigge Story (1813-1872), who sold 1872 to Nathaniel Charles Curzon (1829-1897); to brother, William Curzon (1836-1916); to nephew, Francis Curzon Newton (later Curzon) (1861-1918); to son, John Curzon (1913-1972); to nephew, Charles Coaker (born 1951), who converted it for use as offices, 1973.


The house began as a two-storey brick house built for Philip Lacock, a Nottingham solicitor who was Clerk of the Peace for the county, in about 1660. The original external appearance is not known, but quite a lot survives inside, including a very fine dog-leg staircase with carved scroll balusters, square newel posts with carved swags, vases and pendant drops, and a matching dado rail has similar balusters, newels and vases. In the entrance hall there is a contemporary fireplace with a surround incorporating fluted Doric pilasters, and several other rooms have fireplaces which may be of the same period.


The house was extensively remodelled and given an extra storey by T C Hine of Nottingham for Mansfield Parkyns in the 1850s. He was responsible for the present mullioned and transformed casement windows with Gothic lights, and for the addition of a single-storey service wing at the rear, as well as for much of the interior detail. The house remained in private occupation until 1937 when it was bought by the Crown as a house to be used by the regional commanding officer of the RAF. It was transferred to the Army to perform a similar function in 1959, and a number of changes were made to the house before 1966, including moving the main entrance from the end elevation to the centre of the garden front.


The house ceased to be used by army commanding officers in 1980 and stood empty for four years, in which time its condition deteriorated. After 1984, a new private owner made the top floor into flats and demolished a 19th century east wing, but in 1988 it was restored and converted into a nursing home, for which a long single-storey replacement east wing was built. The house has since become a hotel and wedding venue, which was for sale at the time of writing.

Descent: sold to George Lacock; to son, Philip Lacock (died 1668); to son, Charles Lacock (died 1683); to son, Philip Lacock (died 1721); to daughter, Mary (1693-1785), wife of William Bainbrigge (1686-1736); to daughter, Elizabeth Bainbrigge (1716-1797); to cousin, Rev. Philip Story (c.1747-1819); to son, John Bainbridge Story (1779-1827); to son, Major John Bainbridge Story (1813-1872) who sold 1842 to John Ingall Werg; sold 1852 to Mansfield Parkyns (died 1894); sold by his executors in 1895 to Charles Hose Hill, who sold 1923 to Hubert Dowson; sold 1937 to Crown for use of local commanding officers of the Royal Air Force and (from 1959) of the Army; sold 1984 to Mr Oxby; sold 1988 to Dennis Wright and Gerald Poxton, who restored the house as a nursing home; adapted after 2004 for use as a hotel and wedding venue.


Bainbrigge, William (1686-1736). Elder son of John Bainbrigge (1658-1717) and his wife Mary, daughter and heiress of Thomas Harley of Osgathorpe (Leicestershire), baptised at Lockington, 23 May 1686. Educated at Magdalen College, Oxford (matriculated 1703). High Sheriff of Leicestershire, 1732-1733. He married, 23 September 1712 at Woodborough (Nottinghamshire), Mary (1693-1785), daughter of Philip Lacock, and had issue:


(1) Mary Bainbrigge (1714-1779), baptised at Woodborough, 23 February 1714; inherited Lockington Hall jointly with her sister on the death of her brother in 1769; died unmarried and was buried at Lockington, 26 April 1779, where she is commemorated by a monument by Streeton of Nottingham;
(2) Philip Bainbrigge (1715-1717), baptised at Woodborough, 20 September 1715; died young and was buried at Woodborough, 9 March 1716/7;
(3) Elizabeth Bainbrigge (1716-97), born 8 April 1716 and baptised at Woodborough, 28 November 1716; inherited Lockington Hall jointly with her sister on the death of her brother in 1769 and Woodborough Hall from her mother in 1785; noted for her charitable works; died unmarried and was buried at Lockington, 20 October 1797; will proved at York, 30 December 1797.
(4) John Bainbrigge (1718-1736), baptised at Woodborough, 8 May 1718; died unmarried and without issue, and was buried at Lockington, 5 December 1736;
(5) Philip Harley Bainbrigge (1719-1769) (q.v.);
(6) William Bainbrigge (1722-1737), baptised at Woodborough, 22 May 1722; died young, and was buried at Woodborough, 5 July 1737;
(7) Ann Bainbrigge (born & died 1723), baptised at Woodborough, 17 July 1723; died in infancy and was buried at Woodborough, 18 July 1723;
(8) Dorothy Bainbrigge (born & died 1724), baptised at Woodborough, 7 October 1724; died in infancy and was buried at Woodborough, 24 December 1724;
(9) Charles Bainbrigge (born & died 1725), baptised at Woodborough, 26 October 1725; died in infancy and was buried at Woodborough, 2 November 1725;
(10) Edward Bainbrigge (1727-1741), baptised at Woodborough, 18 July 1727; died young and was buried at Lockington, 5 December 1741;
(11) Margaret Bainbrigge (born & died 1728), baptised at Woodborough, 27 August 1728; died in infancy and was buried at Woodborough, 19 September 1728;
(12) Charles Bainbrigge (born & died 1731), baptised at Woodborough, 25 September 1731; died in infancy and was buried at Woodborough, 16 October 1731.

He inherited Lockington Hall from his father in 1717. His wife inherited a half share in the Woodborough Hall estate from her father in 1721 and she and her husband appear to have bought out her co-heirs. After her husband's death the Lockington estate passed to his eldest surviving sons in turn and then to his two surviving daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. Woodborough passed to his widow for life and then to his last surviving daughter, Elizabeth.
He was buried at Lockington, 13 October 1736; his will was proved in the PCC, 13 September 1737. His widow died aged 92 and was buried 14 April 1785 at Lockington, where she is commemorated by a monument.


Bainbrigge, Philip Harley (1719-1769). Second surviving son of William Bainbrigge (1686-1736) and his wife Mary, daughter of Philip Lacock of Woodborough Hall (Nottinghamshire), baptised at Woodborough, 30 December 1719. He and his wife were painted by Thomas Wright of Derby. High Sheriff of Leicestershire, 1749. According to his monument, 'he spent his time chiefly in the agreeable amusement the country afforded; not choosing to be much conversant with the busy world'. He married, 3 June 1746 at Colston Bassett (Nottinghamshire), Catherine Allcock (who died c1775), but had no issue.



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