Donington Hall

Donington Hall is a Gothic country house standing in parkland near Castle Donington in North West Leicestershire. The estate was built around 1790 for Francis Rawdon-Hastings, later Marquess of Hastings, by the architect William Wilkins. It passed through several generations of the Rawdon-Hastings family, each leaving their mark on the estate. For a time it housed a prisoner of war camp during the First World War, where the German pilot Gunther Plüschow made a celebrated escape. Later it became headquarters for British Midland International and then the Norton Motorcycle Company before being bought by MotorSport Vision. The house is worth visiting for its layered history and its links with motor sport. The Hall was designed in a Gothic style by Wilkins, a noted early 19th-century architect. During the First World War it served as a prisoner of war camp, and in the Second World War the estate was used by the Ministry of Defence. British Midland International employed 800 staff at the Hall in 2007 before the airline was absorbed into British Airways. Norton Motorcycle Company used the Hall as an events venue while building motorcycles nearby. Visitors find a Grade II* listed house set in 28 acres of landscaped grounds. The estate includes Hastings House, which will become a motorhouse for supercars and classic vehicles, and Lansdowne workshops for high-end engineering businesses. A private drive leads from the original gatehouse to the Donington Park race circuit, giving direct access. The Hall itself will reopen as a 49-bedroom hotel in early 2027, managed by Nicholas Walley. The surrounding parkland and the River Trent add to the peaceful setting.