Bank Hall Action Group
Encyclopedia
The Bank Hall Action Group is a voluntary group
which aims to raise public awareness and secure the future restoration of Bank Hall
, a Jacobean
mansion house near the banks of the River Douglas
, in Bretherton
, Lancashire
.
The group is affiliated to the Heritage Trust for the North West
, which has assisted in raising awareness and will run a visitor centre at Bank Hall when the building is restored.
Patricia's account of seeing Bank Hall:
After studying documentation in the Planning Department at Chorley Borough Council concerning Bank Hall Patricia's daughter, Diana wrote to English Heritage
, Save Britain's Heritage
, Chorley Borough Council and Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
regarding its condition..
She contacted The Chorley Guardian alerting it to the state of Bank Hall. John Quirk, a Guardian
journalist, created a "Save Bank Hall" campaign. The first article appeared on 12 July 1995, asking the public to help the save the building.
John Quirk met Gordon Johnson from Bretherton and Carol Anne Strange from Leyland who were among the people who replied and suggested an 'Action Group' to save Bank Hall.
. It has met on the first Wednesday of every month since, with an Annual General Meeting held at the May/June meeting. The Lord Nelson public house in Croston was a regular meeting place for the group, which featured in part of the Bank Hall Restoration Campaign in the BBC's Restoration
television series of 2003.
carried out by Niall Philips of Bristol in 1996 reported that it was feasible, practical and desirable to save Bank Hall.
and the University of Central Lancashire
. The Forensic Science and Archaeology
departments at the University of Central Lancashire visit Bank Hall to carry out excavations which have uncovered lost garden walls, Edwardian coins in the walled garden and clay pipes on the tower lawn.
In late 2010 a bookplate
featuring George Anthony Legh Keck
's coat of arms (carved in stone above the main entrance of the hall) was found, suggesting an earlier example of the arms, which is thought to be from before his marriage to Elizabeth Atherton, which has been considered a major find for the groups research into the family history.
A 'Classic Car
and Motor Show' has increased in popularity as the event has become established. Visitors come from all over the country to enter cars in the competition for 'Best Vehicle on Show' and view the display.
As of 2011 the Action Group have put a ban of the admission of dogs (except guide dogs) into the grounds at their events due to health risks and considerations with the natural wildlife.
Bank Hall was the first building to appear in the first season of Restoration
in the North West of England
but was knocked out by the eventual winner of the series, Victoria Baths, Manchester. The supporters of Bank Hall raised the second highest total of votes in the series. The plan was for Bank Hall to be restored and converted to a college for people with autism
, but Autism Initiatives later withdrew from the plans.
, to produce designs and an action plan for restoring Bank Hall and its 18 acres (7.3 ha) of leisure grounds.
Urban Splash conducted a structural report in 2009 that enabled a plan of the building's restored interior to be developed. It was hoped that work would commence in 2010. However, delays with applications stalled the progress of the project. In February 2010 plans for the restoration were available at events for the public to view. The planning application was granted in February 2011, for the restoration of the house and gardens with enabling development in the old orchard site.
Volunteers cleared the potting shed and greenhouse area ready for restoration in September, with further work carried out in November 2011, with the Heritage Trust for the North West builders dismantled the North wing porch as the gable was at risk of collapse.
Building Preservation and Conservation Trusts in the UK
The National Trust and English Heritage are the best known building conservation trusts in the United Kingdom for the protection of listed buildings and buildings of architectural importance. However, there are many buildings within the United Kingdom that are not under the care of either trust but...
which aims to raise public awareness and secure the future restoration of Bank Hall
Bank Hall
Bank Hall is a Jacobean mansion south of the village of Bretherton in Lancashire, England. It is a Grade II* Listed Building. The hall was built on the site of a previous building in 1608 during the reign of James I by the Banastre family who were Lords of the Manor. It was extended during the 18th...
, a Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
mansion house near the banks of the River Douglas
River Douglas
The River Douglas, also known as the River Asland or Astland, is a river that flows through Lancashire and Greater Manchester in the north-west of England...
, in Bretherton
Bretherton
Bretherton is a small village and civil parish in the Borough of Chorley, Lancashire, England situated to the south west of Leyland and east of Tarleton. Its name suggests pre-conquest origins and its early history was closely involved with the manor house Bank Hall and the families who lived there...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
.
The group is affiliated to the Heritage Trust for the North West
Heritage Trust for the North West
Heritage Trust for the North West / Heritage Trust North West is a registered Building Preservation Trust, established in 1978 as a charity and company....
, which has assisted in raising awareness and will run a visitor centre at Bank Hall when the building is restored.
Formation
In 1994, Jack and Patricia Curren walked down an avenue marked "Private," the drive way to Bank Hall. The end of the drive was overhung by yews near the River Douglas. Over a locked gate they saw a neglected building covered in ivy, surrounded by long grass, brambles and tall weeds.Patricia's account of seeing Bank Hall:
It was a lovely Spring evening when we took our occasional walk down a lane we knew in Bretherton, fresh leaves were bursting out on the tall trees at either side of us and a black bird went through its usual repertoire reminding us that all nature was renewing itself. My eyes lifted from the rustling brown leaves underfoot to the new green above — the green that only Spring produces. A pheasant silently slid into the bushes like a flash of jewels, a south wind ruffled the upper branches of the trees and the blackbird flew away giving its alarm call. How beautiful and peaceful it was... but now we had come to the usual spot where we always turned back again I was reluctant however as something was pulling and urging me to go on, so I walked on. As I turned the corner a magnificent sight came into view... Bank Hall. It left me stupefied and I stared at the building in disbelief thinking of how many times I had walked down the carriageway and never turned that corner. Sometime later we returned with our family and they immediately fell under its spell just like I had done, in spite of the fact that it was badly neglected and in need of urgent repair. My eldest daughter, Diana began to make contacts...
After studying documentation in the Planning Department at Chorley Borough Council concerning Bank Hall Patricia's daughter, Diana wrote to English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
, Save Britain's Heritage
SAVE Britain's Heritage
SAVE Britain's Heritage has been described as the most influential conservation group to have been established since William Morris founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings in 1877. It was created in 1975 - European Architectural Heritage Year - by a group of journalists,...
, Chorley Borough Council and Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings was founded by William Morris, Philip Webb and J.J.Stevenson, and other notable members of the Pre Raphaelite brotherhood, in 1877, to oppose what they saw as the insensitive renovation of ancient buildings then occurring in Victorian...
regarding its condition..
She contacted The Chorley Guardian alerting it to the state of Bank Hall. John Quirk, a Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
journalist, created a "Save Bank Hall" campaign. The first article appeared on 12 July 1995, asking the public to help the save the building.
John Quirk met Gordon Johnson from Bretherton and Carol Anne Strange from Leyland who were among the people who replied and suggested an 'Action Group' to save Bank Hall.
Meetings
The first meeting of the Bank Hall Action Group was held on 26 July 1995 at The De Trafford Arms public house in CrostonCroston
-External links:**** chorley.gov.uk....
. It has met on the first Wednesday of every month since, with an Annual General Meeting held at the May/June meeting. The Lord Nelson public house in Croston was a regular meeting place for the group, which featured in part of the Bank Hall Restoration Campaign in the BBC's Restoration
Restoration (TV series)
Restoration, Restoration, Restoration is a set of BBC television series where viewers decided on which listed building that was in immediate need of remedial works was to win a grant from Heritage Lottery Fund...
television series of 2003.
Achievements
On Tuesday 26 September 1995, a conference was held in the council chamber at Chorley Town Hall, the first achievement of the campaign. The outcome was to carry out a feasibility study on the hall. In December 1995, the group's first chairman, Gordon Johnson, met Lord Lilford's agent, who gave the group permission to access to the grounds. Work started to clear the undergrowth to access the building. The group cleared the walled garden and the perimeter of the hall where a security fence was erected enabling public access to be granted to the grounds and trees were cut down creating an area for events. The hall was cleared of debris, bricks were stored and visitors taken on tours of the parts of the house that were accessible. A feasibility studyFeasibility study
Feasibility studies aim to objectively and rationally uncover the strengths and weaknesses of the existing business or proposed venture, opportunities and threats as presented by the environment, the resources required to carry through, and ultimately the prospects for success. In its simplest...
carried out by Niall Philips of Bristol in 1996 reported that it was feasible, practical and desirable to save Bank Hall.
Projects
- "Tower Appeal" was launched in 1996 with the aim of securing funds for scaffolding to prevent the tower from further collapse. In 1998 scaffolding was erected around the tower to prevent further collapse. The £32,000 cost was partly funded by the sales of the first edition of the Bank Hall Red Book which was published in the same year.
- "Moment in Time Appeal" was launched in 2008 to raise funds for the restoration of the tower clocks.
- "Potting Shed Project" was launched in 2011 to prepare the potting sheds and greenhouse area for restoration with help from volunteers.
Further work
The house has deteriorated dramatically since the group was formed, however the gardens have developed with paths constructed to access areas that have been cleared and reveal the lost snowdrop carpets. Specimen trees have been identified and named with new specimens planted for the future. The removal, storage and cataloguing of remaining artifacts continues, along with research and events. Tours are now limited to the exterior of the building as deterioration has made the building unsafe for visitor access.Research
There is ongoing research into the residents, the grounds, uses and visitors, garden research, artifact storage, documentation and conservation. There is interest from students at Runshaw CollegeRunshaw College
Runshaw College is a further and higher education college based at three centres in Leyland and Chorley, Lancashire, England.-History:The college was founded in Leyland when the sixth forms of Parklands High School and Balshaw's CE High School were amalgamated in 1974 to make a sixth form college...
and the University of Central Lancashire
University of Central Lancashire
The University of Central Lancashire is a university based in Preston, Lancashire, England.The university has its roots in The Institution For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge which was founded in 1828. In 1992 it was granted University status by the Privy Council...
. The Forensic Science and Archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
departments at the University of Central Lancashire visit Bank Hall to carry out excavations which have uncovered lost garden walls, Edwardian coins in the walled garden and clay pipes on the tower lawn.
In late 2010 a bookplate
Bookplate
A bookplate, also known as ex-librīs [Latin, "from the books of..."], is usually a small print or decorative label pasted into a book, often on the inside front cover, to indicate its owner...
featuring George Anthony Legh Keck
George Anthony Legh Keck
Lt.Col. George Anthony Legh Keck was born in 1784 at Stoughton, Leicestershire and was the son of Anthony James Keck and his wife Elizabeth . George Anthony Legh Keck was a member of the Legh family that lived at Lyme Hall at Lyme Park, Cheshire. His wife Elizabeth from Atherton Hall in Atherton...
's coat of arms (carved in stone above the main entrance of the hall) was found, suggesting an earlier example of the arms, which is thought to be from before his marriage to Elizabeth Atherton, which has been considered a major find for the groups research into the family history.
Events
Bank Hall Action Group has hosted events which have ranged from family fun days and barbecues to theatre company productions ever since the first open day in 1999 following the erection of a security fence around the house. The most popular events are 'Snowdrop Sundays' which are held in February each year. The 'Easter Egg Trail' is popular with children with over 400 visitors on Easter Sunday 2010.A 'Classic Car
Vintage car
A vintage car is commonly defined as a car built between the start of 1919 and the end of 1930 known as the "Vintage era". There is little debate about the start date of the vintage period—the end of World War I is a nicely defined marker there—but the end date is a matter of a little...
and Motor Show' has increased in popularity as the event has become established. Visitors come from all over the country to enter cars in the competition for 'Best Vehicle on Show' and view the display.
As of 2011 the Action Group have put a ban of the admission of dogs (except guide dogs) into the grounds at their events due to health risks and considerations with the natural wildlife.
BBC Restoration Campaign
In 2002 the group was approached by the producers of a television program which would feature 30 buildings in need of restoration in ten regional heats. Money raised from a telephone vote was added to a £3million prize fund. The group accepted and Bank Hall was entered into the competition.Bank Hall was the first building to appear in the first season of Restoration
Restoration (TV series)
Restoration, Restoration, Restoration is a set of BBC television series where viewers decided on which listed building that was in immediate need of remedial works was to win a grant from Heritage Lottery Fund...
in the North West of England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
but was knocked out by the eventual winner of the series, Victoria Baths, Manchester. The supporters of Bank Hall raised the second highest total of votes in the series. The plan was for Bank Hall to be restored and converted to a college for people with autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
, but Autism Initiatives later withdrew from the plans.
New developer
Following the TV appearance, the group found a new developer, Urban SplashUrban Splash
Urban Splash is a British company which regenerates decaying industrial warehouses, mills, Victorian terraced houses and other buildings. These buildings have mainly been converted into housing...
, to produce designs and an action plan for restoring Bank Hall and its 18 acres (7.3 ha) of leisure grounds.
Urban Splash conducted a structural report in 2009 that enabled a plan of the building's restored interior to be developed. It was hoped that work would commence in 2010. However, delays with applications stalled the progress of the project. In February 2010 plans for the restoration were available at events for the public to view. The planning application was granted in February 2011, for the restoration of the house and gardens with enabling development in the old orchard site.
Volunteers cleared the potting shed and greenhouse area ready for restoration in September, with further work carried out in November 2011, with the Heritage Trust for the North West builders dismantled the North wing porch as the gable was at risk of collapse.
Associated groups
- Heritage Trust for the North WestHeritage Trust for the North WestHeritage Trust for the North West / Heritage Trust North West is a registered Building Preservation Trust, established in 1978 as a charity and company....
- Lancashire Gardens Trust
- Heritage Lottery FundHeritage Lottery FundThe Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
See also
- Bank HallBank HallBank Hall is a Jacobean mansion south of the village of Bretherton in Lancashire, England. It is a Grade II* Listed Building. The hall was built on the site of a previous building in 1608 during the reign of James I by the Banastre family who were Lords of the Manor. It was extended during the 18th...
- Bank Hall EstateBank Hall EstateThe Bank Hall Estate is the demesne of the jacobean mansion house of Bank Hall, including much of land around the village of Bretherton, which is owned by the Lilford Trust.-History:...
- Bank Hall GardensBank Hall GardensBank Hall Gardens comprise of land around Bank Hall, in Bretherton, Lancashire, England. The gardens contain specimen trees including a yew thought to be the oldest in Lancashire. Many architectural features, statues, low garden walls, conservatory and greenhouses have gone but there are plans to...
- List of Restoration candidates