Woolton Hall's Battle for Survival
The once extravagant Grade 1 listed Woolton Hall in Liverpool, built in 1704, is now abandoned.
The forgotten structure, however, retains notable features including a marble-floored main hall, a tapestry room and intricate staircase.
Unfortunately, the hall is currently on Historic England's 'At Risk Register' as a category A site, indicating that it's at immediate risk of rapid deterioration or loss.
According to Historic England, it’s ‘in a neglected, damp, condition and vacant since approximately 2003.’
The once extravagant structure was significantly expanded in 1780 by the celebrated architect Robert Adam.
Its architectural and historical importance cannot be overstated, as it stands as a prime example of an 18th century country house and the only Robert Adam creation in Liverpool.
In 1772, Nicholas Ashton, a former High Sheriff of Lancashire, acquired Woolton Hall and commissioned architect Robert Adam to extensively remodel it.
Upon Ashton's death in 1833, the hall passed to his son Joseph and then to his grandson Charles Ellis Ashton.
Charles sold it in 1865 to James Reddecliffe Jeffery, owner of Liverpool's largest department store, who faced business failure after a fire.
The hall was auctioned in 1869 but sold in 1877 to shipowner Frederick Richards Leyland for £19,000.
Leyland, an art enthusiast, decorated the hall with works by Edward Burne-Jones and Ford Madox Brown.
He later sold it to the McGuffie family, who converted it into a Hydropathic Hotel, which closed in 1912.
After serving as a military headquarters and hospital in the 1950s, Woolton Hall became a fee-paying girls' school managed by the Convent of Notre Dame.
In 1970, it merged with Notre Dame High School to form Notre Dame Woolton, leading to its abandonment as the school expanded nearby.
The building fell into disrepair and was marked for demolition in the 1980s until local resident John Hibbert purchased it and invested £100,000 in refurbishments.
Since its closure in 2006, the building has fallen into disrepair and is now at serious risk.
In 2021, the building was added to Historic England's "Heritage at Risk Register" as a category A site, the highest priority, meaning the building is at "immediate risk of further rapid deterioration or loss of fabric".
Currently, the Hall is largely obscured from public view by overgrown trees and vegetation, leaving many locals unaware of its existence.
However, in recent years, it has become a frequent target for break-ins, vandalism, and urban explorers, who have documented its fading grandeur.
According to the Liverpool Echo, there is a new chapter on the horizon for the building.
According to reports, a Liverpool entrepreneur wishes to use the hall as a paranormal tourist attraction called 'My Haunted Mansion' - and ultimately as a hotel for ghost hunters.
However, this story was published in June 2024, and there has been no update since.
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