Our Story
Erika & Broderik are the visionaries behind Dunwood Hall
Meet your hosts...
Brodie and Erika
We live at Dunwood Hall with our daughter Alexandra and our two Border Collies, Chisel and Lorde.
This ornate Grade II Listed building is our family home. We wish to protect its rich history and keep its legacy alive. At the same time, we are passionate about what Dunwood Hall is today and can be in the future. We love it and we invite you to share it with us.
History of the house
A family home
Dunwood Hall was built in 1870-71 for Thomas Hulme, a self-made Victorian gentleman. It was to be a family home for his wife and eight children, but that is not all. A lover of parties, Hulme designed the house so he could entertain guests in the best possible fashion. And as a result, all of Dunwood Hall’s rooms flow into one another so that seamless mingling can take place.
Hulme enlisted local architect Robert Scrivener. The building was designed in the popular Gothic Revival style of the era, complete with elaborate arches, stained glass windows and even a tower with four grotesques, or gargoyles as we tend to call them.
Four generations in love
Having fallen into disrepair some time before, the house was rescued by Brodie’s grandmother, Dr. Ruth Vincent Kemp, who fell in love with the estate and dedicated her life to restoring Dunwood.
Brodie - the son of Ruth’s daughter Camilla - grew up in the Hall, running in the grounds, climbing in the trees and swimming in the pool. It was a magical childhood, particularly at Christmas when the three fireplaces would roar to life and snow would alight on the grounds. Dunwood holds a very special place in his heart. Camilla started wedding and events in 2000.
Brodie now shares the Hall with his wife Erika and daughter Alexandra. She’s the fourth generation of Kemp to live here, and the future of this beautiful building – although she perhaps doesn’t fully realise that yet!
Who knows what the future holds, there are always more renovations to be done. But we’re determined to continue the work, to preserve Dunwood Hall and to ensure that many more unique memories are created within its walls and grounds.
