Dunstall Hall is a privately owned 18th century mansion house near Tatenhill

Tatenhill

Tatenhill is an ancient village and a civil parish located in a deep valley, between two hills, which gradually descend from the eastern border of Needwood Forest, three and a half miles west-southwest of Burton upon Trent....

, Burton upon Trent

Burton upon Trent

Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a town straddling the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, England. Its associated adjective is "Burtonian"....

, Staffordshire

Staffordshire

Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...

. It is a Grade II listed building and is available for corporate and business functions.

The manor is recorded as the property of the Earl of Derby

Earl of Derby

Earl of Derby is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the end of the reign of Henry III and died in 1279...

 in 1145 and the first house on the site of the Hall was probably a hunting lodge in the Royal Forest of Needwood.

In 1814 the estate was bought by Richard Arkwright Junior

Richard Arkwright Junior

Richard Arkwright junior , the son of the famous Sir Richard Arkwright of Cromford, Derbyshire, was the financier of Samuel Oldknow of Marple and Mellor and a personal friend. His son Captain Arkwright married Francis Kemble, daughter of the famous theatre manager Stephen Kemble.-Biography:Richard...

, (son of Sir Richard Arkwright

Richard Arkwright

Sir Richard Arkwright , was an Englishman who, although the patents were eventually overturned, is often credited for inventing the spinning frame — later renamed the water frame following the transition to water power. He also patented a carding engine that could convert raw cotton into yarn...

) for his son Charles who lived there and who was High Sheriff of Staffordshire

High Sheriff of Staffordshire

This is a list of the High Sheriffs of Staffordshire.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred...

 in 1849.

Charles died in 1850 childless and the estate was sold to John Hardy, later Sir John Hardy Bt

Sir John Hardy, 1st Baronet

Sir John Hardy, 1st Baronet , was a British Conservative Member of Parliament.Hardy was the son of John Hardy and Isabele Gathorne. Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 1st Earl of Cranbrook, was his younger brother. Hardy was elected to the House of Commons for Midhurst in March 1859, but held the seat for...

. Hardy and later his son, Sir Reginald Hardy (High Sheriff 1893) ( see Hardy Baronets

Hardy Baronets

There have been two Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Hardy, both in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. The first creation became extinct on the death of the first holder while the second creation is still extant....

) carried out extensive alterations and improvements to the property. New building works included a new entrance front with a portico

Portico

A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...

and new wings.

After the death of the 3rd Hardy Baronet in 1953 the estate was sold to wealthy Midlands civil engineer Sir Robert Douglas and on his death in 1997 it was sold to property developer and race course owner Sir Stanley Clarke ( High Sheriff in 2003).

In 2007 the present owner, following renovation and refurbishment, opened the house for corporate and business events