Lilleshall Hall: Difference between revisions
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==Early History== |
==Early History== |
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An Augustinian Abbey was founded in the Twelvth Century, the ruins are protected today by [[English Heritage]]. |
An Augustinian Abbey was founded in the Twelvth Century, with it's estate running to some 30,000acres, the ruins are protected today by [[English Heritage]]. |
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The estate was purchased by James Leveson in [[1543]], with the family living in the house until the [[Civil War]]. The royalists gained the estate until 1645, and it then fell to the Parliament troops. The estate returned to the family, who grew their power through a series of marriages and allegiences. |
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Sir William Leveson-Gower, the fourth [[baronet]], married Lady Jane Granville, daughter of the [[Earl of Bath]], which raised the family from baronetcy to a marquisote. They built a new country residence in the village, but their son George Granville Leveson-Gower after his marriage in 1765 considered it too small, and so decided to build something better. His wife instructed the architect Sir John Wyattville and local builders, and the present Hall was completed in 1829 - three years before the newly elevated [[Duke of Sutherland]]'s death. |
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The approach to the Estate from the main Wolverhampton to Chester Road is through the "Golden Gates" which are exact replicas of those adorning [[Buckingham Palace]]. The gardens include many bridges, the original canal, an Ornamental garden, a Grecian Temple, ponds and the Apple Walk (about half it's original pergola length). The 70 foot high Obelisk was built in 1833 in memory of the 1st Duke of Sutherland and designed by G.E. Hamilton. |
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==Down sizing== |
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The 4th Duke died in June 1913 and his son succeeded him at the age of 25. The 5th Duke decided that, with the outbreak of the Great War in the following year, it was unwise to have so much of his capital tied up in land and property. |
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He sold the Trentham Estate and some 250 acres of the Lilleshall Estate retaining the Hall itself and 50 acres of gardens. The Duke wanted a country house nearer London where he could enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the countryside and yet be able to travel to and from London with ease. |
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As a consequence the Lilleshall Hall and the 50 acres of gardens was sold in 1917 to Sir John Lee but without the manorial rights which were retained by the 5th Duke of Sutherland for a further 10 years. |
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It is not clear whether the Duke was unwilling to sell these rights to Sir John or whether the price could not be afforded but, with some frustration, Sir John Lee eventually sold the Hall and the remaining acreage in 1927 to Mr Herbert Ford who promptly purchased the manorial rights from the 5th Duke. |
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Mr Herbert Ford was a local man who acquired his wealth from the industry of the Ironbridge Gorge and, no doubt, from a wealthy wife who was a member of the Perrins family, of Lea and Perrins Worcester Sauce fame. |
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He decided to run Lilleshall as an "early Stately Home", and pleasure gardens for the general public. From 1930 until 1939 the Hall and grounds existed as an amusement park with peacocks in the gardens, a narrow gauge railway operating between the Abbey and the Hall, tea dances in Ford Hall, and children's playgrounds. |
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Mr Ford was a shrewd businessman. When business at the Hall was slow, he advertised that the (Hindenburg) Zeppelin airship would fly over the estate, inviting people to come and see it. The actual route was nowhere near Lilleshall, but he got the crowd in and then stood up on the podium viewing the flypast and read out a telegram he had sent himself. "Due to bad weather the flight of the Zeppelin has been re-routed and that it will no longer be seen flying over the Hall". No Zeppelin, but plenty of people using the facilities. |
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A 9 hole golf course had already been established but in 1938 Mr Ford had another nine holes designed and built. Farmers retained the grazing rights over this land and the "new nine" was not officially opened until almost twenty years later as golfers refused to play around the cattle. Herbert Ford put up the rent, farmers refused to pay the increase, withdrew their livestock, and the golfers were free to play without the imposition of grazing cattle. |
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with an inscription written by Reverend J.J. Blunt. |
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The principal ground floor rooms of the Hall, the library, drawing room, and dining room each contained important literature and works of art and overlooked the lawns and gardens of the 600 acre estate. |
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The principal ground floor rooms of the Hall, the library, drawing room, and dining room each contained important literature and works of art and overlooked the lawns and gardens of the 600 acre estate. |
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After the [[dissolution]] of the monasteries, the estate was bought by a merchant called Leveson. The family became Lords of Stafford and later [[Duke of Sutherland|Dukes of Sutherland]] (as the Leveson-Gower family). |
After the [[dissolution]] of the monasteries, the estate was bought by a merchant called Leveson. The family became Lords of Stafford and later [[Duke of Sutherland|Dukes of Sutherland]] (as the Leveson-Gower family). |
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Revision as of 18:57, 10 May 2006
Lilleshall Hall is a large former country house and estate located in Lilleshall in Shropshire, England.
It lies between Telford and Newport, on the A518, in the Telford and Wrekin borough and the Wrekin constituency.
Early History
An Augustinian Abbey was founded in the Twelvth Century, with it's estate running to some 30,000acres, the ruins are protected today by English Heritage.
The estate was purchased by James Leveson in 1543, with the family living in the house until the Civil War. The royalists gained the estate until 1645, and it then fell to the Parliament troops. The estate returned to the family, who grew their power through a series of marriages and allegiences.
Sir William Leveson-Gower, the fourth baronet, married Lady Jane Granville, daughter of the Earl of Bath, which raised the family from baronetcy to a marquisote. They built a new country residence in the village, but their son George Granville Leveson-Gower after his marriage in 1765 considered it too small, and so decided to build something better. His wife instructed the architect Sir John Wyattville and local builders, and the present Hall was completed in 1829 - three years before the newly elevated Duke of Sutherland's death.
The approach to the Estate from the main Wolverhampton to Chester Road is through the "Golden Gates" which are exact replicas of those adorning Buckingham Palace. The gardens include many bridges, the original canal, an Ornamental garden, a Grecian Temple, ponds and the Apple Walk (about half it's original pergola length). The 70 foot high Obelisk was built in 1833 in memory of the 1st Duke of Sutherland and designed by G.E. Hamilton.
Down sizing
The 4th Duke died in June 1913 and his son succeeded him at the age of 25. The 5th Duke decided that, with the outbreak of the Great War in the following year, it was unwise to have so much of his capital tied up in land and property.
He sold the Trentham Estate and some 250 acres of the Lilleshall Estate retaining the Hall itself and 50 acres of gardens. The Duke wanted a country house nearer London where he could enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the countryside and yet be able to travel to and from London with ease.
As a consequence the Lilleshall Hall and the 50 acres of gardens was sold in 1917 to Sir John Lee but without the manorial rights which were retained by the 5th Duke of Sutherland for a further 10 years.
It is not clear whether the Duke was unwilling to sell these rights to Sir John or whether the price could not be afforded but, with some frustration, Sir John Lee eventually sold the Hall and the remaining acreage in 1927 to Mr Herbert Ford who promptly purchased the manorial rights from the 5th Duke.
Mr Herbert Ford was a local man who acquired his wealth from the industry of the Ironbridge Gorge and, no doubt, from a wealthy wife who was a member of the Perrins family, of Lea and Perrins Worcester Sauce fame.
He decided to run Lilleshall as an "early Stately Home", and pleasure gardens for the general public. From 1930 until 1939 the Hall and grounds existed as an amusement park with peacocks in the gardens, a narrow gauge railway operating between the Abbey and the Hall, tea dances in Ford Hall, and children's playgrounds.
Mr Ford was a shrewd businessman. When business at the Hall was slow, he advertised that the (Hindenburg) Zeppelin airship would fly over the estate, inviting people to come and see it. The actual route was nowhere near Lilleshall, but he got the crowd in and then stood up on the podium viewing the flypast and read out a telegram he had sent himself. "Due to bad weather the flight of the Zeppelin has been re-routed and that it will no longer be seen flying over the Hall". No Zeppelin, but plenty of people using the facilities.
A 9 hole golf course had already been established but in 1938 Mr Ford had another nine holes designed and built. Farmers retained the grazing rights over this land and the "new nine" was not officially opened until almost twenty years later as golfers refused to play around the cattle. Herbert Ford put up the rent, farmers refused to pay the increase, withdrew their livestock, and the golfers were free to play without the imposition of grazing cattle.
with an inscription written by Reverend J.J. Blunt.
The principal ground floor rooms of the Hall, the library, drawing room, and dining room each contained important literature and works of art and overlooked the lawns and gardens of the 600 acre estate.
The principal ground floor rooms of the Hall, the library, drawing room, and dining room each contained important literature and works of art and overlooked the lawns and gardens of the 600 acre estate.
After the dissolution of the monasteries, the estate was bought by a merchant called Leveson. The family became Lords of Stafford and later Dukes of Sutherland (as the Leveson-Gower family).
Lilleshall village and surrounds were the site of a lot of early industrial development in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with relatively shallow deposits of coal and limestone being mined. As a result a very early example of the English canal network was dug - The Donnington Wood Canal and it's Lilleshall branch which were connected by an inclined plane. The Dukes of Sutherland became one of the richest families in the UK partly as a result of this industrial development and in the late nineteenth century built a new residence, Lilleshall Hall which lies at the heart of the estate a mile from the village.
The Sutherland estate was sold off between 1915 and 1917 and the hall eventually passed into state ownership as a sporting facility.
Sports Centre
The sports centre, opened in 1951 by HRH Queen Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth), is approached along a two mile, tree-lined drive. Until the Summer of 1999, Lilleshall was the base for the Football Association's School of Excellence which has reared many of today's leading football stars - including Michael Owen.
Lilleshall houses the administrative headquarters for many leading British sporting associations including the Football Association's Medical Education Centre and the British Amateur Gymnastics Association.
Lilleshall also offers residential accommodation, seminar and banqueting facilities.
External links
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