Colwick Hall Hotel

The Hotel reception is the original entrance hall and still today displays the diamond cut slate flooring with circular black marble sections.

The new additions were built in 1776 by Samuel Stretton of Nottingham, from an architectural design of John Carr of York, and was originally enclosed with a deep moat, and had a draw bridge on the north side of the hall. There was a reed-grown lakelet in the grounds which was a remnant of an artificial water course, conducting the waters of the Trent to turn a mill. This had existed just below the hall since the Saxon period, and was the cause of constant disputes between the owners of Colwick and their neighbours concerning the amount of water that it was allowable to divert from the main river. At one time so much water was taken that the navigation of the river was impeded.

Colwick Hall dates back to 11th century and was recorded in the Domesday book. It was first owned by Sir Reginal DeColwick. On the death of William de Colwick in 1362, the estate passed by the marriage of his daughter Joan, into the Byron family which they inhabited for more than 150 years. They held it until about 1660, when it came into the possession of the Musters.

All the older buildings disappeared when the present Hall was erected in 1775-6, soon after the coming-of-age of John Musters, (father of the husband of Byron’s ‘Mary.’) There is a famous painting by George Stubbs of John and Sophia Musters riding at Colwick showing the newly built hall in 1777. The house consisted of an elegant centre, crowned with a pediment, resting on four well proportioned Ionic pillars, and joined by two wings of one lofty storey with an entablature, supported by square pilasters, with plain capitols, and lightened much in its effect by a handsome balustraded parapet.

In 1805 Mary Chaworth, Byron’s childhood love-interest from Annesley Hall, married Jack Musters of Colwick, creating the name Chaworth-Musters by which the family is still known today.