A historic home of adventure

A historic estate in the heart of Shropshire

Condover Hall sits in the beautiful Shropshire countryside, but its story stretches back centuries.

From Saxon roots to Elizabethan craftsmanship, royal intrigue to famous visitors, this remarkable building has witnessed an extraordinary amount of British history, long before it became a home for JCA adventure.

The early village of Condover

The earliest records describe Condover as a Saxon rural manor, once part of the estate of Roger de Montfort, Earl of Shrewsbury.
When his son rebelled against Henry I in 1102, the estate was taken back by the Crown – a pattern repeated many times throughout its early history.

Key early milestones:

• 1226: Granted by Henry III to his half-sister Joan, who married Llywelyn the Great
• 1238: Reassigned to Henry de Hastings
• 1284: Sold to Bishop Burnell, Chancellor to Edward I
• 15th Century: Passed to the Lovell family, including the infamous “Lovell the Dog”

It’s a story full of shifting loyalties, royal decisions and historic twists.

Building the hall we see today

The Condover Hall mansion was built for Thomas Owen, and is believed to have been constructed by Walter Hancock, a well-known Shropshire mason from Much Wenlock.

Construction timeline:

• Late 1500s: Building begins
• 1598: Completion of the Hall (the year of Thomas Owen’s death)
• Finished by his son, Sir Roger Owen

The Hall stayed in the Owen family for generations until 1804, when it passed through several branches of the family and eventually to the Cholmondley and Fielden families. In 1896, the estate was purchased by E. B. Fielden, a Lancashire cotton-mill owner and long-serving Member of Parliament.

Famous visitors over the centuries

Condover Hall has welcomed many notable figures, including:

• Clive of India, who rented the property in the early 1700s
• Mark Twain, who visited in 1873 and 1879.

In more recent years, two of its educational buildings were formally opened by:

• The Duke of Westminster
• Diana, Princess of Wales

A new chapter:
From historic estate to adventure centre

Following a multi-million-pound redevelopment, Condover Hall reopened in May 2011 as a modern adventure centre – combining its rich heritage with exciting outdoor learning.

Today, it welcomes thousands of children, families and groups each year.

It’s now a place where:

A historic home with a bold new purpose.