Woodborough’s Heritage

Woodborough, a Sherwood Forest Village, recorded in Domesday

Since the closure of the nursing home in 2004, the Hall has been advertised for sale with an asking price of £1.3 million. Following the sale in 2005 of this former nursing home to the Bellamy family, the new owners planned to turn the Hall into a restaurant with head chef Des Sweeney.


Under the Bellamys the Hall will not only become a restaurant but also a training centre for chefs. The expected date of opening is late autumn 2005. The planned opening of the restaurant took place but the tenure of the Bellamys only lasted until 2008 when the Hall and business was sold to Mr & Mrs T Lock.


Above Left: The Hall Restaurant in 2004/05 with function room on the right.

Above right: The Hall Restaurant in 2008/09 with the new Orangery shown on the right.


Woodborough Hall returned to splendour:

In 2008/09 a delightful new orangery is the latest of several improvements made to Woodborough Hall as the owners, Timothy Lock and his wife Betina, establish the venue as a wedding venue.


The Orangery adjoins the Grade II listed building and is designed to compliment the main hall and gardens and provide an additional area for guests to relax either before meals or after or to enjoy a quiet coffee. With French windows opening out onto a terrace in the garden, the bright and airy room boasts under-surface heated Jerusalem stone flooring, high quality, hand-made rattan furniture from the Far East and a hand-carved feature mirror which dominates one wall of the room. The facility also benefits from superb theatrical lighting which provides special effects for the evenings and a hand-carved birdcage centrepiece, designed and commissioned by the owner and, of course, potted orange trees from which Woodborough Hall hopes to produce its own marmalade in the near future.


There can be few more idyllic and historic venues than Woodborough Hall as it is mentioned in Domesday as one of three halls in Woodborough. The Bank Hill site in the village where the Hall is located was once home to a Saxon fort and the present building dates back to 1660 when one Philip Lacock bought the Manor from the Strelley family.


In spite of a less auspicious recent history, the last four years has seen a dramatic reverse of its decline as it has been fittingly and lovingly returned to its former splendour. The current owner has spent a career in sourcing, equipping and managing similar venues for other people and now sees Woodborough Hall as the perfect opportunity to put the best of all he has experienced into a project of his own.

Sadly, Mr & Mrs Lock’s business declined and in 2022 it failed, the Hall was sold to Kidd Hospitality who aim to revive the Hall again as a go to wedding venue.


Left & right -

The exterior and interior of the Orangery in 2008/09.


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Woodborough Hall - hospitality, wedding and events business


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Woodborough Hall

Under New Ownership and Management

Web: www.woodborough-hall.co.uk

Email: enquiries@woodborough-hall.co.uk



We are delighted to announce that Woodborough Hall is under new ownership and management from Wednesday 29th June 2022.


The sale of Woodborough Hall has been agreed following the appointment of receivers over the property. The sale relates to the property only. Enquiries relating to the previous business should be directed to the previous owner Timothy Lock.


Our intention is to reopen the Hall as a hospitality, wedding and events business and we are currently working on obtaining the necessary compliance certifications and licences, hiring a new staff team and commencing some initial refurbishment.


The Hall which has a fascinating history is situated in the beautiful village of Woodborough. Combined with the stunning gardens, we believe this offers an idyllic setting for us to create the next chapter for this venue. Whilst we are truly excited about the future, we recognise the responsibilities which come with stewarding such a historic local building for the Woodborough community and we hope you will support us with this venture.


Our core management team are professionals with many years’ experience in the hospitality industry and are focused on recruiting a team who will offer a warm, welcoming and personal service.


We are currently working hard to re-open the hall as soon as possible. In the meantime, we would love to hear from you – whether you are a local resident who wants to say hello, a potential future customer who wants to discuss your requirements or a supplier who wants to work with us. Equally, if you are interested in being part of the team then please get in touch.


Finally, we would like to say how saddened and disappointed we were to read about the late cancellations of weddings at the Hall. This must have been devastating for all concerned.


We look forward to meeting everyone in the future and please watch out for updates on our progress.


For all enquiries, please contact our new details:

Email: enquiries@woodborough-hall.co.uk


** Please note we are currently in the process of setting up new telephone lines and will provide our new contact number in the near future.



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