Once known as the old manor of Netherwoodcote, Woodcote's origins are lost somewhere in the mists of time.

When William the Conqueror invaded in 1066, the Manor remained in Saxon hands and was not handed over to the Normans.

The Manor is next mentioned in the Domesday Book. Along with the Manor of Overwoodcote, it included part of Wudlaw or Woodlowe, which is now known as Woodloes.

In 1153 the Earl of Warwick gave the manor to Alan, son of Richard the Cook. During the next 300 years it changed hands several times until in 1450 when it was owned by the Brome family. Soon afterwards Woodcote was described as a “de-populated town”.

The estate was purchased by Sir Henry Puckering in 1657 and later passed to the Mallory family. In 1851 it was acquired by Henry Wise. He commissioned a Birmingham architect, James Gibson, to design a new house which was built on the site of the existing manor house.

Work on the present house started in 1861 with locally quarried stone. Like most Warwickshire sandstone, it is soft and crumbly.

Some of the stones from the old manor house can still be seen in parts of the grounds.

Henry Wise is accredited with laying out the grounds. As some of the cedar trees are over 300 years old, it is probable he merely altered the existing landscape.

In 1888 Henry’s son, George, died. He was succeeded by Major General Sir George Waller Bart, and later by his son, Sir Wathen Waller Bart. The house remained in the Waller family until 1947.

During the Second World War, Woodcote was used as a convalescent home for the American forces, with the Stars and Stripes hanging in the main hall.

In 1947 the house was purchased by Warwickshire County Council for £25, 654. Following a conversion costing £60,000 Woodcote became the headquarters of the Warwickshire Constabulary in 1949.

For the next 20 years Woodcote and its grounds remained fairly unchanged until amalgamation with the Coventry City Police made additional accommodation essential. Since then a new control room, training centre, garages, workshop and residential block have been added.