Hawkstone Hall and Garden

Hawstone Hall

Grade I Listed Georgian Manor House & Gardens

Hawkstone Hall is surely one of the jewels in the Parish’s crown. The House and Gardens are listed Grade I and are of unusual splendour. The Hall itself is a wonderful Georgian manor, which embellishes the surrounding countryside.

Rowland Hill, who was a city merchant and the first protestant Lord Mayor of London, bought the the manor and park at Hawkstone in 1556 for £700. Today, his statue sits at the top of the Monument at Hawkstone Park. Little else is known about the early history of the estate.

In c.1690 – 1700 The Honourable and Reverend Richard Hill set about building what today constitutes the core of the Hall. In c.1719 – 1727 he remodelled the house, adding the north and south partiques and the Corinthian columns. Further remodelling and additions were carried out in c.1860 by Lewis Wyate under the auspices of Sir Rowland Hill, 4th Baronet and 2nd Viscount.

The garden has been planted to give a long season of interest.

In 1895 the house was sold to settle debts. It then passed through a couple of owners until it was bought in 1924 by the Redemptorists.

After falling in to a state of neglect, restoration of the pleasure gardens began in 1988 under the direction of David Weller. Originally established as a coniferous setting for the Hall in the 1720s. The grounds include the terraced lawns, the rose gardens, the azalea grove, orchard, and mixed woodland. A shady arbor overlooks the lily pond and beyond this are the majestic Wellingtonias that shelter the croquet lawn.

In June 2017, the Hall was acquired from the Redemptorists by The Distinctly Hospitable Group, for conversion to a hotel and wedding venue. After major refurbishment the Hall and Gardens reopened in 2019 and is well worth a visit. In fact, the venue makes for a lovely walk from Marchamley or even Hodnet [maybe as an extension of the Hodnet Local Walks leaflet 3], with dogs welcome [on a lead] in the gardens/grounds and, if clean/well behaved, also indoors too – e.g. for a drink, cup of coffee/tea &/or some lunch.

Note. Vehicular access for visitors is via a one way system. Entry being gained via a [intercom controlled] gated ‘front’ drive in the centre of Weston under Redcastle, with exit via the ‘rear’ drive of the hall leading to the centre of Marchamley. Pedestrian/cycle entry/exit is permitted in either place/direction.

Hawkstone Hall is a splendid Georgian mansion set in the picturesque Shropshire countryside.

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