The manor of 'Swynfeyn' is first recorded in the Domesday book of 1086 as belonging to the Bishop of Lichfield, and a manor house has stood on this site since Medieval times.
The present Hall was completed in 1757 under the direction of local architect Benjamin Wyatt, the founder of one of the greatest architectural families in English history.
The Hall was originally built for Samuel Swinfen, his wife and a domestic staff of 55. Samuel had made a fortune in trade in London and no expense was spared in the building.
The south wing was built in the Edwardian period by Colonel Michael Swinfen Broun. He had married the heiress to the Enos Liver Salts Empire and it was with this money that the work was carried out. An extensive part of the wing is the oak-panelled Ballroom built for his only daughter's 2 1st birthday After three years of building, she eloped two weeks prior to the event.
The most colourful character among the Swinfen dynasty, was Patience Swinfen, a former parlour maid who had married into the family. In the 1860's she inherited the Hall, but the will was fiercely contested by the rest of the family. Seven long years of litigation followed and Patience became a cause celebre throughout the land, upsetting Victorian conventions that women were subservient, quiet and accepted their situation in life.
The last of the family to live at Swinfen Hall, was Colonel Michael Swinfen Broun who died in 1948 leaving the proceeds of the estate to the Cathedral and city of Lichfield. The surrounding land was subsequently sold and the Manor House stood empty for over thirty years.
Victor and I bought the building in January 1987 and after ten months of restoration and refurbishment, opened Swinfen Hall Hotel in December 1987.
In 2003, having bought a further 95 acres of surrounding farmland, we entered
into a 10-year Countryside Stewardship Scheme. Our intention was to create a
wild deer park and by planting hedgerows and parkland trees, encourage back
the wildlife and restore the land to its natural beauty in an environmentally
responsible manner.
The 45-acre wild deer park came into being in November 2004 with the arrival
of 2 stags, 12 hinds and 2,000 metres of deer fencing. It extends across the
back of the hotel, down to the lake and encompasses a few acres of woodland on
the eastern boundary to give the deer natural shelter. Over the last two years, we are delighted to report that twenty young fawn have been born in the park.
Plans are currently under way to restore the derelict wing and outbuildings to
create additional bedrooms and leisure facilities.
Helen Wiser
Colonel Swinfen Broun trekking through Egypt
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