Wiverton Hall

Wiverton Hall
File:Wiverton Hall - geograph.org.uk - 1082050.jpg
General information
Type	English country house
Location	Tithby
Town or city	Bingham
Country	England
Coordinates
Construction started	1450
Renovated	1814
Client	Sir Thomas Chaworth
Designations	Grade II* listed building

Wiverton Hall is an English country house near Tithby, Nottinghamshire. By 1510 the former village of Wyverton had become impoverished and reduced to just four houses and a cottage. It was in that year completely depopulated by "emparkment", when George Chaworth enlarged his park by 254 acres (103 ha). All but the Grade II* listed gatehouse of the mansion was destroyed in the English Civil War.

Wiverton Hall is considered to have been established by Sir Thomas Chaworth (d. 1458/9) in 1450. In 1627 his descendant, Sir George Chaworth (d. 1639) was created Viscount Chaworth of Armagh, and his son John Chaworth (d. 1644) the second Viscount, was living at Wiverton.

English Civil War

Lord Chaworth supported Charles I of England and in December 1642 fortified Wiverton Hall to make it a garrison for the King. In June 1643, Queen Henrietta, on her way from Newark, wrote to the King: ‘I shall sleep at Werton [Wiverton], and thence to Ashby, where we will resolve what way to take.’ Among other royal visitors were Prince Rupert of the Rhine and his brother Prince Maurice, who after visiting the King in Newark rode to Wiverton with about 400 troops and stayed there until they could settle their future plans. From Wiverton it was that Prince Rupert addressed a letter to the Parliament, asking for a pass for himself, his brother, and other noblemen and gentlemen to leave England.

They left Wiverton and on 4 November 1645, the garrison commanded by Lord Chaworth surrendered to the troops under Major-General Poyntz. Major-General Sydnam Poyntz had taken Shelford Priory by storm on the previous day went to Wiverton and destroyed it to prevent its use as a garrison.

Current building

File:Wiverton Hall, near Tithby, Nottinghamshire - geograph.org.uk - 65376.jpg

Wiverton Hall

The surviving gatehouse was then used as a farmhouse until the early nineteenth century.The current house was erected in 1814 in the Tudor Gothic Revival style. In its restored form the mansion remained the property of the Chaworths until the family became extinct in the direct male line. Mary Chaworth conveyed the property to the family of Musters by her marriage in August 1805 to John Musters of Colwick Hall.

At the beginning of the 20th century the Hall was the home of John Patricius Chaworth-Musters who also owned Annesley Hall, Nottinghamshire. He and his wife had six sons, five of whom fought in the First World War. Of these Patricius George died of wounds in 1915, Philip Mundy was killed in action in 1917 and Robert weakened by poison gas, died of influenza in 1918.

Between 1923 and 1938 the house was let out to tenants, one of whom was Mrs D’Oyley Ransome. In 1938 it was sold by John Neville Chaworth-Musters along with its estate of 2,170 acres to the Crown and was for a period the home of Major-General Sir Miles Graham and Lady Graham. It was during the Grahams' time that a visit was made by Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein on 21 August 1948.

Anglican parishes

The hall gives its name to the Wiverton Hall ward of Rushcliffe Borough Council, as well as the group of Anglican parishes that surround it:

• St Andrew's Church, Langar
• St Giles's Church, Cropwell Bishop
• Holy Trinity Church, Tythby
• St John's Church, Colston Bassett
• St Mary's Church, Barnstone
• St Michael and All Angels' Church, Elton on the Hill

The population of Wiverton Hall parish is included in the civil parish of Colston Bassett.