This post, the nineteenth in the series detailing the rooms and contents of Middleton Hall as described in the 1676 inventory, focuses on the cellars, which were specifically called “The Coal Cellar” and the “The Old Cellar”. Cellars would have been situated in cool areas and, normally, underground. They were traditionally used to store wine and beer and it was only in the 17th century that they began to be used to store coal. The central courtyard, c.1984, showing two of the

This post, the thirteenth in the series detailing the rooms and contents of Middleton Hall as described in the 1676 inventory, focuses on the entertaining rooms called “The Parlour” and “The Dining Room”. Before the 15th century, the great hall chamber had been where everyone within the household ate and was entertained. However, in the 15th century the parlour emerged. At that time, parlours were a private reception room, a place where a few guests would be entertained and a

"Ghost" in the doorway to the Stone Building at Middleton Hall, late 20th century. Courtesy of Philip and William de Hamel. For Halloween, this post will focus on the reported sightings of ghosts at Middleton Hall. The Hall has often played host to ghost-hunting nights and evenings. Understandably, most of these hunts have initially tended to focus on the older buildings of the Hall in the east wing. However, there has not really been a sighting of a ghost there, except for o

The 15th April 2026 is World Art Day. A number of reproductions of paintings of the Willoughby family are on display at Middleton Hall. To mark World Art Day, this post will focus on the artistic history of two of these paintings. The original paintings of Sir Francis I Willoughby and his wife Elizabeth Littleton were commissioned on 13th September 1573. In the Middleton household accounts, it was recorded that Sir Francis paid 10 shillings (about £119.11 today) for his portr

The short answer to this question is no. In fact, many historical surveyors have commented on how they have given up trying to fathom why a lot of things were done in the manner they were during the Georgian Renovation of Middleton Hall! The current front door has been in that location since the last phase of the Georgian Renovation, c.1759. Before that time, that location was actually part of the north wall of the 16th century first floor external Gallery Corridor. In the ea

The 28th/29th July 2025 marks the 450th anniversary of the visit of Queen Elizabeth I to Middleton Hall and the knighting of Sir Francis I Willoughby. Portrait of Sir Francis I Willoughby. Courtesy of Lord Middleton Francis Willoughby is likely to have been a reluctant host for the Queen. This is because he was definitely a reluctant knight. It was said that Queen Elizabeth thought that Francis should be knighted because he was one of the wealthiest, most landed and most infl

The Georgian Renovation of Middleton Hall was one of two major renovations in its history that completely changed its appearance. It began in 1707 and was not completed until 1762. This Renovation was started by Thomas Willoughby, 1st Lord Middleton, but he could only begin it with the permission of his mother Emma (nee Barnard) because Middleton Hall was still her dower house at that time. Neither Emma nor Thomas nor even Thomas’ son, Francis Willoughby 2nd Lord Middleton, l