Main building temporary closure
Please note that the main building at Beaumanor Hall will be closed for at least the next 10 weeks (from Monday 14 April), due to structural issues and safety concerns.
The grounds and other buildings remain accessible, and we have hired a bespoke marquee which is being erected on the formal lawns at the rear of the hall, so that ceremonies can still take place.
If you have a ceremony or event booked, we are contacting people in date order and we’ll be able to help with any queries and concerns you might have.
Our holiday activity clubs and many of our day visits which do not use the main building will continue to go ahead as normal but our friendly team will be in touch if there are any changes to your booking.
The History of Beaumanor Hall
Beaumanor Hall has a rich and varied history. Built between 1842 and 1854 by architect William Railton for the Herrick family, it remained in their possession until World War II when the estate was requisitioned by the War Office. Throughout the war the Hall was used as a secret listening station to intercept encrypted enemy signals. The Hall was bought by Leicestershire County Council in 1974 for use as an education and conference centre.
Hall and Park Tours
Please note that access to the upper floor is only available by staircase. We have ample free parking with easy drop off and collection.
Book your place today by calling 01509 890119 or emailing beaumanor.activities@leics.gov.uk.
Y Station
Y Stations were British Signals Intelligence collection sites used during World War II. These sites collected traffic which was then passed for processing to the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire. The traffic was recorded by hand and sent to Bletchley, on paper by motorcycle couriers, or later, by teleprinter over post office land lines.
Beaumanor Hall was requisitioned by the War Office in 1940 and set up as a Y Station. Buildings were erected in the grounds (which are still in place) disguised as cottages, barns, stables etc. These housed the intercept personnel listening for German and Italian encrypted messages. We are always very happy to talk to anyone who has knowledge or memories of Beaumanor during the war and especially of its links with Bletchley Park. Please call 0116 305 3468 or Beaumanor.Hall@leics.gov.uk.
Beaumanor War and Peace: The Curzon Herrick Years, 1915 – 1939, Caroline Wessel
This is Leicestershire’s Downton Abbey…
This brand new publication is now available to buy at Beaumanor Hall reception. The book delves into the most extraordinary and almost unbelievable stories you just cannot afford to miss.
When the elderly but childless benefactor, Mrs Perry Herrick, died in 1915, the 320 years of Herrick ownership of Beaumanor Park came to an end.
William Curzon, the grandson of 1st Earl Howe then inherited the vast Beaumanor estates. Until now, very little has been known about life at Beaumanor in the Edwardian era, during WW1, or in the 1920s.
But recent meticulous and extensive research, unexpected access to revealing private correspondence, contact with present-day relatives, and the discovery of a huge hoard of hitherto uncatalogued documents, has uncovered some astonishing – and even shocking – facts.
Now available to buy at Beaumanor Hall Reception – £12.00 (cash only payment)