Lilleshall Hall

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

In 1914, one year after the fifth 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. He solf the entire estate except the Hall and 50 acres of gardens. He then decided he wanted to live closer to London, and sold the whole package in 1917 to Sir John Lee.

Herbert Ford was a local man who acquired his wealth from the industry of the Ironbridge Gorge, and his marrige to Alice Perrins of the Lea and Perrins Worcester Sauce fame. In 1927 he bought the estate, and decided on a busines plan based on an "early Stately Home". , with pleasure gardens for the public. From 1930 until 1939 the Hall had pleasure gardens for the public, including an amusement park, a narrow gauge railway, tea dances, a children's playgrounds. He added an additional 9holes on the existing 9hole golf course - but it was never played for 20years, due to a rent dispute with farmers resulting in cattle on the course. He even incresaed attendence by advertising that the Hindenburg airship would fly over the estate, even when it's routes was no where near: he explained the lack of an airship was due to bad weather - in a self-sent telegram!

Second World War

At the outbreak of the Second World War the pleasure gardens closed and an air raid bunker was built, and wooden classrooms erected. This accomodated both Cheltenham Ladies College, and later Dr Barnardos used the facilities as an orphanage. The land and gardens were intensivly farmed throughout this period.

After WW2

Many estates were left in ruin post World War II, and Lilleshall was no exception. Repairing them to pre-WW2 state was expensive, and the social revolution that had occured meant they were very much more expensive to run. Mr Ford struggled on, but in 1949 the Central Council of Physical Recreation were seeking a second National Recreation Centre to serve the North of England, to complement Bisham Abbey in the South.

In 1949, an sale was agreed for the sum of £30,000 for the Hall and 10acres, made possible by a financial gift from the people of South Africa to Clement Atlee's Government. Mr Ford then gave another 10acres, on condition he and his family could stay in residence for at least another 10years or until his death.

The sports centre was opened in 1951 by HRH Queen Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth). Jim Lane, a member of the Moat Cricket Club became the first warden, and he started a number of cricketing courses and the first Conference of cricket coaches was held in December 1951. Annual Summer Schools were held from July until September for many major sport's Governing Bodies, inclduing: cricket, archery, athletics, fencing, judo, weightlifting, basketball, soccer, netball, and tennis.

Sports Centre

Following the success of Summer Schools more and more Governing Bodies came to look upon Lilleshall as their own National and Regional coaching or squad training Centre. In twenty-one years as a National Recreation Centre, the Governing Bodies of Cricket, Rugby League and Rugby Union, Lawn Tennis, Badminton, Hockey, Lacrosse, Netball, the Professional Golfing Association and Association Football all were based at the centre:

• The 1966 England team trained for two weeks prior to their success in World Cup of 1966. Sir Alfred Ramsey returned in 1967
• The 10acre field purchased in 1949 was extended by a further 10acres, and developed as a playing field. HRH Prince Phillip opened the Pavilion built with a grant from the South African charitable trust in November 1954
• Originally a gymnasium, movement and dance studio; King George VI Sports Hall was a 120-foot square multipurpose hall. Funded by a grant of £56,000 from the King George VI memorial foundation, opened on 31 October 1955
• Funded by B.A.G.A, a pitted area for gymnastics was added in 1979
• In 1985 the King George Hall and the pitted area became the permanent home for British gymnastics
• In 1986 the Football Association, took over the gymnasium for use as the International Sports Medicine Institute and Rehabilitation Centre
• The UK's first Human Performance Centre opened in 1988
• The Sutherland Hall, with the opening of the National Centre at Crystal Palace becoming the principal athletics facility, was converted in 1983 for cricket, archery and indoor bowls
• Ford Hall, Henry Hall's original ballroom, is now used for table tennis and martial arts
• Wenlock Hall was opened in 1986, a multi-purpose sports facility, incorporating the William Morgan Development Centre for International Volleyball. The Hall was named after the town of Much Wenlock, where it is believed the idea of the modern day Olympic Games was conceived. The Wenlock games are still held annually to this day
• During the 1950's and early 1960's a new hall of residence was built. Refurbished in the 1990's to provide ensuite accomodation

The centre also boasts externally:

• Four grass and four floodlit all weather tennis courts
• Four floodlit all weather tennis courts
• 10acre floodlit playing field
• Bowling Green
• Floodlit water based Astroturf pitch.

The Football Association

The Football Association's School of Excellence was established at Lilleshall in 1984 and closed in the Summer of 1999. Most Premiership football clubs have now established their own centre's of excellence, based on the Lilleshall model. The school did come in for some criticism, due to it's centralist and percieved as anti-club agenda; but it's star pupils include Michael Owen.

Today

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.

Lilleshall Sports and Conference Centre Ltd continue to operate the Centre on behalf of the English Sports Council (now Sport England) until the present contract expires in October 2000.

External links

• Lilleshall Hall website