Chicheley Hall.
IT REMAINS among the UK’s finest examples of early 18th-century architecture, a grade 1 listed mansion housing marble arches, pillars and staircases, beautiful and art, dramatic windows and rooms reflecting its past both as the home of wealthy families and, latterly, as a hotel, conference and event venue.
Chicheley Hall, nestling in some 80 acres of north Buckinghamshire countryside, was built in the early 1700s, on the site of an ancient manor house that belonged to the Pagnell family.
It is steeped in history, with its most remarkable ‘secret’ a hidden library, with all shelving and books concealed behind what appears to be panelling.
This year is Chicheley Hall’s 300th anniversary and the venue is throwing open the house and its 100-acre grounds to the public on July 20 for its 300th anniversary Summer Fayre.
Visitors can delve into the hall’s rich history, from its time under the ownership of drunk and gambler Charles Bagot Chester , the 7th Baronet, to its spell in the early 2000s as the Kavli Royal Society International Centre under the ownership of The Royal Society which renovated the house as a venue for seminars and conferences attended by some of the world’s leading scientists.
Chicheley Hall served as a Special Training Centre in the Second World War for the Special Operations Executive. It hosted the training of Poles and Czechoslovak agents for parachute missions behind enemy lines and later became a wireless telegraphy school for the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry charity.
More recently, it operated as a venue for weddings, conferences and business meetings before closing during the pandemic.
The hall was sold by The Royal Society in a £7 million deal in 2021 to Pyrrhic Investments, a family investment fund owned by a Hong Kong-based property investment and development family.
Its aim is to become a leading local venue for weddings and business events. Corporate clients are already regular bookings for meetings.
“We are hoping the Summer Fayre will bring the Bedford and Milton Keynes business communities together to enjoy the wonderful facilities and grounds here,” Chicheley Hall’s sales and events executive Nia Gallimore says. “We want to celebrate the hall’s 300 years and give our visitors an idea of its future potential.”
………………………………….
Stay connected with local business through Business MK. Join our exclusive community for the latest news, insights, updates, features and thought leadership.
Stay informed – subscribe now at bit.ly/3MZiqzQ. Unsubscribe at any time.
