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The first record of Middleton Hall dates back to a mention in the Doomsday Book of 1086. The oldest remaining building on the site is the Stone Building on the east side of the main complex and dates from 1285. Notables who lived at the Hall include the pioneer 17th century naturalists John Ray and Francis Willughby. The house was occupied until 1966 when it was bought by a gravel extraction company who were working the deposits in the valley of the River Tame. The company allowed the house to fall into dereliction until the formation of the Middleton Hall Trust in 1980 who, with the help of many volunteers, restored the property over the course of more than 20 years. It now offers visitors an interesting insight to past life in the historic building. The beautifully maintained grounds includes one of the oldest walled gardens in the country. The Courtyard (the old stable block) houses the cafe and a number of craft shops. The House also accommodates the independent Peel Society museum (The Peel family, whose most famous member, the second Sir Robert Peel, 19th century prime minister and founder of the Metropolitan Police Service, lived in the nearby Drayton Manor).