Little Lawford Hall

Image: © Stephen McKay Taken: 29 Nov 2021

Nowadays, Little Lawford Hall is the largest and most prominent building in the hamlet of Little Lawford and is used as a private residence. It was, however, built as the stable block to the original hall (demolished in 1790) and is dated 1604, although it may have earlier origins. The location has a colourful history. In the 16th century a member of the Boughton family, who owned the hall, lost an arm and it is said that the ghost of 'one-handed Boughton' drove around the countryside in a coach drawn by six horses. The ghost was later supposed to be confined to a bottle and thrown into a clay pit but sightings of him were still reported. Away from the supernatural, in 1780 Sir Theophilus Boughton, a minor, was found dead in Lawford Hall and murder was suspected. His sister's husband Captain Donellan, who stood to inherit the estate if Theophilus died as a minor, was convicted of poisoning his young brother-in-law and was later hanged at Warwick. It may have been to erase the memories of these unfortunate events that the old house was torn down shortly afterwards.

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