[2] The estates passed to Richard Leveson, a distant cousin who was a prominent Royalist in the English Civil War and fortified the Abbey, inviting a severe bombardment.

As he too failed to produce heirs, Lilleshall then passed to Sir William Leveson-Gower, 4th Baronet, founder of an illustrious political dynasty, who married Lady Jane Granville, daughter of the Earl of Bath.

[2] The approach to the estate from the main Wolverhampton to Chester Road is through the "Golden Gates", an exact replica of those adorning Buckingham Palace.

[2] In 1914, a year after the 5th Duke succeeded to the seat at the age of 25, he decided on the outbreak of the First World War that it was unwise to have so much of his riches tied up in land and property.

From 1930 until 1939, the Hall had pleasure gardens open for the public, including an amusement park, a narrow gauge railway, tea dances, and children's playgrounds.

At the outbreak of the Second World War the pleasure gardens closed, an air raid bunker was built and wooden classrooms erected.

Annual summer schools were held from July until September for the governing bodies of many major sports, including cricket, archery, athletics, fencing, judo, weightlifting, basketball, soccer, netball, and tennis.

Following the success of the summer schools, sports' governing bodies came to look upon Lilleshall as their own national and regional coaching or squad training centre.

The school came in for some criticism due to its centralist and perceived anti-club agenda but its star pupils included future England internationals Jermain Defoe, Michael Ball, Michael Owen, Joe Cole, Scott Parker, Sol Campbell, Jamie Carragher, Wes Brown, Nick Barmby, Leon Osman, Andy Cole and Ian Walker.