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There’s a lot more than golf going on at Weatheroak Hall, Alvechurch’s own stately home . . .
There are probably not too many villagers who know that Alvechurch has its own stately home – and yet people from across the region attend meetings and conferences there and even get married within its splendid surroundings.
There are doubtless many of its day-to-day users, too, for whom the history and grandeur of Weatheroak Hall is merely a pleasant backdrop; after all, they are more interested in how the ball will fly from their golf club off the first tee.
The hall, at the top of Weatheroak Hill, has been the home to Kings Norton Golf Club since its move from the actual Kings Norton in Birmingham in 1970, after its original course was acquired by the city council for housing.
In that time, it has grown into a highly regarded and thriving club with an increasing number of golfers joining to play the 27 holes on offer and to experience the benefits of membership.
The original house was built for Robert Mynors, a pioneering Birmingham surgeon, in the late 18th century.
The Mynors family were to grow in prominence in the area over the following 150 years, hiring renowned Bromsgrove architect John Cotton to create the present Weatheroak Hall around the existing house in 1884.
The family lived in the hall until 1935, when the estate was acquired by Bournville Village Trust, which leased it to Kings Norton Golf Club in 1967, which set about creating a 27-hole course in the 220 acres of beautiful parkland.
The first round was played in the autumn of 1970 and the official opening was in the spring of 1971.
Golfers may be interested to know that the Mynors family crest over the main entrance to the hall reads Fac et Spero, which translates as “Do and hope” . . . or, considering the venue’s current use, perhaps: “Hit and hope”!
For those who are married at the hall, which is a licensed civil wedding venue, a better translation might be: “I do, and hope”?
And Weatheroak Hall is, indeed, a fabulous venue for a marriage, from the moment the wedding party and guests arrive outside its impressive facade and enter the galleried main hall.
The dedicated bridal suite is beautifully decorated to provide a light and spacious room for all the preparations before the main event and for relaxing during the big day.
The ceremony itself takes place in the first-floor Weatheroak Lounge with its panoramic views over the golf course; then, after photographs in the beautiful surroundings of the hall, the ballroom awaits for the reception.
All of these facilities are also regularly used for meetings and conferences large and small. The recently updated ballroom now offers the latest audio-visual equipment and, of course, the acclaimed catering of Weatheroak Catering Services is always available.
And all of this is often happening without the golfers even noticing because most of the areas they use are in later extensions to the rear of the hall, including a refurbished lounge and “spike” bar, lockers and changing rooms and the club professional’s shop.
The parts of the Weatheroak Estate they are most interested in, of course, are the manicured fairways stretching away from the hall in three loops of nine holes each, which can be combined into three different courses – all of them a picturesque challenge to any golfer.
Over the past five years the club has been investing heavily across the course to add to its appeal, particularly with a programme of maintenance of the all-important greens to produce a putting surface which is now the envy of other clubs in the area.
To find out more about golf, weddings and conferences see: https://www.kingsnortongolfclub.co.uk
Alternatively, please call: 01564 826789 or email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)