History

Coton Hall – Where the past meets the present

A house with history

Coton Hall stands on an eminence, with rolling Shropshire hills and countryside in all directions. The house is layered with history and stories – it has the refined character of the late Georgian period, but the history of it’s skeleton stretches back much further.

The present structure has many Victorian additions, such as the North Wing and the Italianate Tower. The property was fully renovated and restored to its former glory by Max and his father several years ago, and continues to be lovingly maintained. There is never not a project on!

Across the lawns and in the walls you’ll find traces of various families over the centuries. Most notably are the Lee family.

The Lee Family

The Lee’s owned the estate from the 13th Century, and were prominent in the area for 500 years. They later became some of the earliest settlers in colonial Virginia. Coton Hall was the ancestral home of signers of the Declaration of Indepence, Robert E. Lee and Richard Henry Lee.

Coton was sold on the death of Harry Lancelot Lee in 1821, but the views and setting remain almost completely unchanged.

A chapel, steeped in history

Medieval in origin and once a place of worship for Saxon Kings, Coton Hall’s ruined chapel was later modified with 18th-century Gothic features, including an arched east window and a quatrefoil. The roof collapsed in the 19th century, and the Lee monuments were relocated for protection. The chapel remains as a stone ruin with visible window tracery. It is the most recognisable historic feature of Coton Hall.