Brockhall, Lancashire
Encyclopedia
Brockhall is a village in the Ribble Valley
, Lancashire
and home to the training facilities for Blackburn Rovers F.C.
The village is in the civil parish
of Billington and Langho
. It is a gated community
and is 7 miles (11.3 km) north of Blackburn.
The hospital was closed by the NHS
in 1992 as part of the government's Care in the Community
policy, and the property developer Gerald Hitman, who had earlier bought the lease
on the hospital, started to develop the site, replacing the hospital with a gated community
, which now contains more than 400 homes, as well as the Blackburn Rovers'
training ground and a hotel
.
.
Originally from London, the successful businessman made his fortune in the North East
, buying and selling property leases and freeholds. In 1982 he bought a package of deeds to properties in Lancashire
, among them a 999-year lease for Brockhall Hospital, at Old Langho. A decade later when the hospital closed he was able to develop the land to form the multi-million pound Brockhall village, a gated community which is made up of 400 homes as well as Blackburn Rovers’ training ground.
He also built his unique home in the village, The Old Zoo
, which he had recently sold. It had been on the market for £2million. The property was described by one expert as the “best contemporary house built in Britain since the 1930s” and featured 17 acres (68,796.6 m²) of grounds including more than 100 sculptures. It also included a hot tub, swimming pool, a large pond, an outdoor “chapel”, a tennis court; a beech maze and a croquet lawn. In 2004 he opened the gates to his gardens for tours, priced at £5.
Ribble Valley
Ribble Valley is a local government district with borough status within the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Clitheroe. Other places include Whalley, Longridge and Ribchester. The area is so called due to the River Ribble which flows in its final stages...
, 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...
and home to the training facilities for Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
The village is in the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Billington and Langho
Billington and Langho
Billington and Langho is a civil parish in the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England, covering the villages of Billington and Langho. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 4,555.- Schools :...
. It is a gated community
Gated community
In its modern form, a gated community is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly-controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences. Gated communities usually consist of small residential...
and is 7 miles (11.3 km) north of Blackburn.
Brockhall Hospital
Brockhall Hospital was once Europe's largest mental institution It was built in 1904 as an Inebriate Women's Reformatory, later becoming a hospital for people with learning disabilities.The hospital was closed by the NHS
National Health Service (England)
The National Health Service or NHS is the publicly funded healthcare system in England. It is both the largest and oldest single-payer healthcare system in the world. It is able to function in the way that it does because it is primarily funded through the general taxation system, similar to how...
in 1992 as part of the government's Care in the Community
Care in the Community
Care in the Community is the British policy of deinstitutionalization, treating and caring for physically and mentally disabled people in their homes rather than in an institution...
policy, and the property developer Gerald Hitman, who had earlier bought the lease
Lease
A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the lessee to pay the lessor for use of an asset. A rental agreement is a lease in which the asset is tangible property...
on the hospital, started to develop the site, replacing the hospital with a gated community
Gated community
In its modern form, a gated community is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly-controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences. Gated communities usually consist of small residential...
, which now contains more than 400 homes, as well as the Blackburn Rovers'
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
training ground and a hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
.
Brockhall village
Property tycoon Gerald Hitman (who died on 4 June 2009) was the man behind the Brockhall Village development, where he also built his own magnificent home, The Old ZooThe Old Zoo
The Old Zoo is a house in Brockhall Village, finished in 2000 on the site of the old petting zoo of Brockhall Hospital. It was designed through a competition held by RIBA. The house was commissioned by property tycoon Gerald Hitman in 1997, and the winning design chosen out of over 120 entries was...
.
Originally from London, the successful businessman made his fortune in the North East
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
, buying and selling property leases and freeholds. In 1982 he bought a package of deeds to properties in 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...
, among them a 999-year lease for Brockhall Hospital, at Old Langho. A decade later when the hospital closed he was able to develop the land to form the multi-million pound Brockhall village, a gated community which is made up of 400 homes as well as Blackburn Rovers’ training ground.
He also built his unique home in the village, The Old Zoo
The Old Zoo
The Old Zoo is a house in Brockhall Village, finished in 2000 on the site of the old petting zoo of Brockhall Hospital. It was designed through a competition held by RIBA. The house was commissioned by property tycoon Gerald Hitman in 1997, and the winning design chosen out of over 120 entries was...
, which he had recently sold. It had been on the market for £2million. The property was described by one expert as the “best contemporary house built in Britain since the 1930s” and featured 17 acres (68,796.6 m²) of grounds including more than 100 sculptures. It also included a hot tub, swimming pool, a large pond, an outdoor “chapel”, a tennis court; a beech maze and a croquet lawn. In 2004 he opened the gates to his gardens for tours, priced at £5.
External links
- Directions to Brockhall from Blackburn Rovers website.
- The Old Zoo Garden Review