Croxteth Hall
Encyclopedia
Croxteth Hall is the former country estate and ancestral home of the Molyneux family, the Earls of Sefton
. After the death of the 7th and last Earl
in 1972 the estate passed to Liverpool City Council
, which now manages the remainder of the estate, following the sale of approximately half of the grounds. The remaining grounds, Croxteth Park, were at one time a hunting chase of the Molyneux family and are now open to the public.
, Georgian
, and Queen Anne styles. The principal front, the west façade, was built in 1702.
Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their children stayed at Croxteth Hall on 9 October 1851 before visiting Liverpool the following day during torrential rain. However, the visit started fine with 700 members of the local gentry being entertained in the Hall grounds.
The Hall and its outbuilding are a Grade II* Listed Building, as are 3 of the outbuildings; another 15 buildings on the estate are Grade II. The Molyneux family lived at the Hall from the 16th century until 1972, when the last Earl died. His American-born widow Josephine, Countess of Sefton (1903–1980) - once a close friend of the Duchess of Windsor and nicknamed "Foxy" for her abundant auburn hair - continued to spend some time at Croxteth. She became the last member of the Molyneux family to reside in the hall.
When the last Earl died in 1972, a worldwide search was made for an heir to the title but without success.
Much of the original estate has since been sold off for development, but approximately 500 acre
s (2 km²) remain as a country park, which is open to the public and includes various play facilities for children. The estate also contains the historic Hall itself, open to the public for a small fee, as well as a maintained Victorian
walled garden
and a working country farm.
. In partnership with Lancashire Wildlife Trust, the reserve been doubled in size. This allows people better access to the reserve areas and include new habitats within the reserve. One of the improvements to Mull Wood is the sowing of a Wildflower
Meadow, situated near the Old Kennels.
Myerscough College
operate their Liverpool campus from part of the Hall, at which they teach 350 full-time students. See Myerscough College Liverpool Homepage
The "Friends of Croxteth Hall and Country Park" support the work of Liverpool's major stately home. The Friends hold a variety of fun events to raise funds. Among the things they have paid for are benches, plants, equipment, and horticultural studies.
s in Croxteth Hall Lane were built in the 1870s and are a Grade II listed building. They were designed by the Chester
architect John Douglas
for the 4th Earl of Sefton
. The kennels are built in red brick with a patterned roof of blue and green slate
s. The building is in one storey and has three bays
; the left two bays consist of the kennels and the bay on the right is higher with a steeper half-hipped roof
. There is a tall brick chimney stack.
Earl of Sefton
The title Earl of Sefton was created in the Peerage of Ireland in1771 for the 8th Viscount Molyneux. The Earls of Sefton held the subsidiary titles Viscount Molyneux, of Maryborough in the Queen's County , in the Peerage of Ireland, and Baron Sefton, of Croxteth in the County Palatine of Lancaster...
. After the death of the 7th and last Earl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
in 1972 the estate passed to Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It consists of 90 councillors, three for each of the city's 30 wards. The council is currently controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Joe Anderson.-Domain:...
, which now manages the remainder of the estate, following the sale of approximately half of the grounds. The remaining grounds, Croxteth Park, were at one time a hunting chase of the Molyneux family and are now open to the public.
History
The original house was built in about 1575, and has been expanded in several stages in TudorTudor architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
, Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
, and Queen Anne styles. The principal front, the west façade, was built in 1702.
Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their children stayed at Croxteth Hall on 9 October 1851 before visiting Liverpool the following day during torrential rain. However, the visit started fine with 700 members of the local gentry being entertained in the Hall grounds.
The Hall and its outbuilding are a Grade II* Listed Building, as are 3 of the outbuildings; another 15 buildings on the estate are Grade II. The Molyneux family lived at the Hall from the 16th century until 1972, when the last Earl died. His American-born widow Josephine, Countess of Sefton (1903–1980) - once a close friend of the Duchess of Windsor and nicknamed "Foxy" for her abundant auburn hair - continued to spend some time at Croxteth. She became the last member of the Molyneux family to reside in the hall.
When the last Earl died in 1972, a worldwide search was made for an heir to the title but without success.
Much of the original estate has since been sold off for development, but approximately 500 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (2 km²) remain as a country park, which is open to the public and includes various play facilities for children. The estate also contains the historic Hall itself, open to the public for a small fee, as well as a maintained Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
walled garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
and a working country farm.
Alleged Haunting
The Liverpool City Council, in whose jurisdiction Croxteth lies, has called for additional investigation into spectral figures which appear to be visible on CCTV security footage of the grounds of Croxteth Hall. Speculation has been raised as to the possible identity of the figure.The Park
The Grade II listed Park also contains Mull Wood, which is part of the 85 hectares (215 acres) Croxteth Local Nature ReserveLocal Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
. In partnership with Lancashire Wildlife Trust, the reserve been doubled in size. This allows people better access to the reserve areas and include new habitats within the reserve. One of the improvements to Mull Wood is the sowing of a Wildflower
Wildflower
A wildflower is a flower that grows wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. Yet "wildflower" meadows of a few mixed species are sold in seed packets. The term "wildflower" has been made vague by commercial seedsmen who are interested in selling more flowers or seeds more...
Meadow, situated near the Old Kennels.
Myerscough College
Myerscough College
Myerscough College is a Higher and Further Education college near Bilsborrow on the Fylde in Lancashire, England.-Origins:The college dates back to the 19th century, when it was known as Lancashire College of Agriculture...
operate their Liverpool campus from part of the Hall, at which they teach 350 full-time students. See Myerscough College Liverpool Homepage
The "Friends of Croxteth Hall and Country Park" support the work of Liverpool's major stately home. The Friends hold a variety of fun events to raise funds. Among the things they have paid for are benches, plants, equipment, and horticultural studies.
Kennels
The kennelKennel
A kennel is the name given to any structure or shelter for dogs. A kennel is a doghouse, run, or other small structure in which a dog is kept...
s in Croxteth Hall Lane were built in the 1870s and are a Grade II listed building. They were designed by the Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
architect John Douglas
John Douglas (architect)
John Douglas was an English architect who designed about 500 buildings in Cheshire, North Wales, and northwest England, in particular in the estate of Eaton Hall. He was trained in Lancaster and practised throughout his career from an office in Chester, Cheshire...
for the 4th Earl of Sefton
William Molyneux, 4th Earl of Sefton
William Philip Molyneux, 4th Earl of Sefton, KG was a British peer.Born Viscount Molyneux, he was the eldest son of Charles Molyneux, 3rd Earl of Sefton and his wife, Mary. He was educated at Eton College, Berks. In 1854, Molyneux became an ensign in the Grenadier Guards and inherited his father's...
. The kennels are built in red brick with a patterned roof of blue and green slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
s. The building is in one storey and has three bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
; the left two bays consist of the kennels and the bay on the right is higher with a steeper half-hipped roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
. There is a tall brick chimney stack.