Before the Norman Conquest in 1066, the manor of Olaveston (Wollaton), comprising of some 180 acres, belonged to Ulfi the Saxon. In the Doomsday Book of 1066 Olvaston is listed as belonging to William Peveril, who installed a man, Warner de Codnor, to manage the estate. 

Warner's successor was William de Morteyn and indeed the Morteyn family remained in ownership of the estate until the fourteenth century.

By 1176 Adam de Morteyn is described as Lord of Wollaton and his family lived in a house probably on the site of the Old Rectory. They were responsible for part of the building of the existing church which was completed in the fourteenth century by the Willoughbys who had acquired the Manor of Wollaton and adjoining parishes of Cossall and Trowell by purchase and by marriage after 1312.

It was not until the 1460s that the Willoughbys moved to Wollaton where they probably either rebuilt or expanded the Manor House. The Willoughby’s wealth derived from substantial coal mines in the parish as well as their extensive land holdings. Sir Henry Willoughby, who was buried in St Leonard’s Church in 1528, died one of the richest men in England. His great grandson, Sir Francis Willoughby set about building Wollaton Hall (1580-1588) on the top of a nearby hill, surrounded by a park.

The old Manor House was abandoned and by the mid 1600s it had fallen into ruin.

In 1711 Sir Francis’s great-great grandson became Baron Middleton. He substantially altered the interior of the Hall but like most of his successors spent little time there. The fifth Baron built the new stable block and may have been responsible for almost completely rebuilding the village after 1750. In 1871 there were 658 people living in a total of 121 houses.

In 1925 the village and estate were sold off. The Hall and the Park were bought by Nottingham City Council who proceeded to develop the eastern part of the park with a new road, Middleton Boulevard, with housing on either side. The remainder of the Estate was also similarly developed and in 1933 the whole of Wollaton Parish was absorbed within the boundary of the City of Nottingham.

A great summary of the history of Wollaton Hall is on the main Wollaton Hall website.

Why not have a stroll around and explore our village at your own pace?
Please start your tour at the Dovecote.

The Village Dovecote

Built around 1565 by Sir Francis Willoughby, it still has its original roof with pantiles. Dovecotes were an important source of food in the winter and were kept by most important people. In the 1800’s it became a stable and subsequently fell into decay. It was rescued and restored and re-opened in 1987 and now houses the Wollaton Historical & Conservation Society’s Dovecote Local History Museum.  Visit the Dovecote page for more information.

Bramcote Lane

Bramcote Lane was formerly known as Noggy Lane, which led to the old coalmines and brickyard. Today on the north side you can see the Russell School built in 1865 (currently a pre-school nursery) and beyond that the old school house for the head teacher.

A little further beyond is The White House (1850’s) and a cottage originally part of the Nook Farm. Returning towards The Square, on the south side opposite the Old School House is a former farm building (1870s) now Bramcote Lodge on Smythson Drive (1980’s), named after the architect of Wollaton Hall who is buried in St Leonard’s Church.

The Square

At the heart of the village is the Pump with its 19th century canopy. To the east is the Admiral Rodney Public House. To the right of the pub is a fine terrace of 18th century houses what once housed the village shop and police station.

The 13th century St Leonard’s Church (whch you will visit later on this tour) contains monuments to the Willoughby family and also a memorial to Robert Smythson, described as architect of Wollaton Hall.

The Square is surrounded by two-storey 18th century cottages. In 1955 and again in 1969 applications were made to demolish them and build modern shops. The local opposition led to the founding of the Wollaton Village Preservation Society in 1972, the predecessor to the now Wollaton Historical and Conservation Society.

In 1863, 59 people lived around The Square, so these houses would have been very overcrowded. The rent was just over a shilling per week. All the tenants worked for the Estate, either on the land, at the Hall or in the colliery. The Middletons were benevolent landlords paying good wages, providing their tenants with gardens so that they could grow potatoes, and also supplying them with free coal at Christmas.

Wollaton Road

Before entering Rectory Avenue (formerly Pig Lane) look at the house opposite, the Old Post House. Originally three cottages it was the Post Office in 1914.

Looking down Wollaton Road on the left is the Wright Institute (1900) named after the Middleton’s Estate Manager in the 1889s. He was involved in every aspect of village life, particularly cricket. Beyond the Cricket Ground was the Village Pound where stray animals were kept. Opposite is Old Dairy Cottage, one of a number of old cottages that still survive, the others being hidden behind the new houses on Trowell Road.

Before 1925 there was no Russell Drive (named after Rev Russell), this was just countryside.

Rectory Avenue
(private road)

On the left are three cottages though the first seems to have been added later. The door to the second cottage is now a window. These are three-storied, though the distance between the 2nd and 3^rd floor is very limited. The lane leads down to what was called Pig Yard, on the corner is the Old Piggery. Opposite is another old cottage and, to the right, the old stables of the Rectory, now a house.

The Admiral Rodney

The pub was named after the Admiral Rodney, related to the Middletons by marriage, who had beaten the French in a great naval battle in the West Indies in 1784. It was one of two pubs in the Village, the other, the King’s Head on Trowell Road, was demolished in the 1920s.

At the rear is the Old Barn. Referred to as an “old banqueting hall”, it became the village school in 1841 having 80 pupils aged 3–11 years. After the new school was built it became the Village Institute for the working men and later a lending library. 

Driveway to the Old Rectory
(private road, no access)

This may lead to the site of the original Manor House. The present building, obscured by trees, dates from the 1800s and replaces an earlier rectory which was burnt down. In the 1850s the Rector was Charles Willoughby, who lived here with his 11 children and 5 staff. He was the brother of Lord Middleton and when he retired he was succeeded by Rev. Charles Russell, the brother-in-law of the next Baron.

Row of three cottages

Just beyond the driveway is a fine row of three cottages with attic windows on the 3^rd floor. In the 1800s the first house was the Village Shop, though there was only room for three people at any one time. The far cottage, nearest to the Church, was the Police Station.

St Leonard's Church

Named, it is believed, as a result of the death of one of the Morteyn family on St Leonard’s day in 1284. Before 1880 it probably had just one aisle.

There are memorials to Sir Richard Willoughby (1491), Sir Henry and his four wives, the more sober memorials to the Middletons, and the fine monument to Robert Smythson 'architector', the first person to be known as such.

The South Aisle was added after 1886 when some of the memorials were relocated. In the Baptistry is an electronic copy of the original Antiphonal. The original is housed at the University of Nottingham Archives. This illustrated prayer book was given to St Leonard’s in 1460. Somehow it survived the Reformation and ended up in the library of the Hall, from whence it was returned to the church in 1925.

Church Hill

Opposite the church is the Stone Cottage, the oldest house in the village dating back to the 1400s. It may have been a Chantry or the residence of the Priest, or the original school referred to in 1472. In the 1850s it was the Post Office.  Next door is Ivy Cottage with pointed, gothic windows.

To its right is Wollaton House, occupied in the 1850s by Mr Lyon and his family. He had been in the Royal Navy with Lord Middleton.

The road down to the park used to be known as Church Hill, with the kennels off to the right on what is now Hirst Crescent.

Written by Andrew Hamilton. 
Acknowledgements to Sheila Strauss, Keith Taylor and Maureen Jones.