Swinfen Hall is an 18th-century country mansion house, now converted into a hotel, situated at Swinfen, in the Lichfield district of Staffordshire in England. It is a Grade II* listed building.Images of England/Heritage Gateway, listed building description
The hall was built in 1757 by Samuel Swynfen to a design by architect Benjamin Wyatt (father of James Wyatt), and remained the home of the Swinfen and Swinfen Broun families for almost two hundred years.
Samuel Swynfen (of Swynfen) sold Swinfen Hall to his kinsman, Samuel Swinfen of Walbrook House.Stirnet.com The latter died without any children, and left his estate in his will to his nephew Samuel Grundy (the son of his sister Anne, who had married Thomas Grundy of Appleby, Leicestershire) — on the condition that he take the surname of Swinfen and procure an act of Parliament to that effect.Stirnet.comJournal of the House of Commons Samuel Grundy (now Swinfen) duly changed his name by a private act of Parliament, (22 Geo. 2. c. 3 ).Deed Poll Office: Private Act of Parliament 1748 (22 Geo. 2). c. 3
However, in 1770, Samuel Swinfen also died without children and the Hall passed to his brother, Thomas Grundy,Stirnet.com who also then changed his name to Swinfen, by another private act of Parliament, (11 Geo. 3. c. 26 ).Deed Poll Office: Private Act of Parliament 1771 (11 Geo. 3). c. 26
Thomas Grundy (now Swinfen) was the grandfather of Samuel Swynfen whose will was contested in a series of trials from 1856 to 1864 and raised important questions of ethics in the legal profession.
The hall was extended and improved in the early 20th century by Lieutenant-Colonel Michael Swinfen-Broun. On his death in 1948, the estate was bequeathed to the Church and City of Lichfield, and most of the land was sold off. The hall stood unoccupied for many years until acquired in 1987 by the present owners and converted to a hotel. Since 2024, the hotel has closed.
See also Grade II* listed buildings in Lichfield (district) Listed buildings in Swinfen and Packington
Notes
References
External links