Dudmaston Hall - History - The Building of The Present Hall

The Building of The Present Hall

Sir Thomas's eldest son, Francis (1627–89), the second baronet, was declared a lunatic. It was his fifth son, John Wolryche, who took over the estate in 1668. He began building a new house at Quatt, now the dower house, but died in 1685, before work was finished.

John's son, Sir Thomas Wolryche (1672–1701) inherited his uncle's baronetcy and his father's determination to rebuild. However, he embarked on a much more ambitious project, replacing the old manor house with a new sandstone building, the core of the present Dudmaston Hall. The architect appears to have been Francis Smith of Warwick, who provided a substantial, well-built, but not grand residence. Modelled on Belton House in Lincolnshire, it has an H-plan lay-out, a large central entrance hall, backed by a saloon, and flanked by three-roomed wings. Construction probably began before 1700, but Thomas died in 1701 before it was complete.

Management of the estate passed to Sir Thomas's widow, Elizabeth Weld. However, their son, Sir John Wolryche (1691–1723), the fourth baronet, came to maturity in 1712 and took over the reins. For a decade he spent heavily on gambling, horses and hunting. In 1723, attempting to ford the Severn after attending races at Chelmarsh, directly opposite Dudmaston, he drowned, leaving no male heir. The estate was burdened by heavy debts and was passed to Sir John's sister, Mary, only on payment of £14,000. She, her mother Elizabeth, and her uncle, Colonel Thomas Weld, resided at Dudmaston, and over the next half century, largely restored it to a sound financial footing by frugal management.

• The Wolryches

• Tomb of Francis and Margaret Wolryche in St. Andrew's church, Quatt. They were the ancestors of all the Wolryche Baronets.

• Margaret's memorial to Francis, installed after his death in 1614.

• Memorial to George Wolryche, a younger brother of Sir Thomas, the first baronet.

• Inscription on Bridgnorth Museum, commemorating Sir Thomas Wolryche's deliberate destruction of the town in his defence of the castle against Parliamentary forces in 1646.

• Inscription on Sir Thomas Wolryche's tomb, lauding his military achievements.

• Tomb of Mary Wolryche, who died in 1678: wife of John Wolryche and daughter of Matthew Griffith, a prominent churchman.