Formby Hall
Encyclopedia
Formby Hall is located to the north-east of Formby
in the English
county of Merseyside
, in secluded woodland adjoining the Formby Hall Golf and Country Club. The present house, built for William Formby, dates back to 1523 but it is believed that the Formby family has occupied the site since the 12th century.
Over the years the hall has seen many owners and occupants. Many modifications and additions have been made to the original building. For example the battlements were added in the 18th century by John Formby who took inspiration from the Gothic-style architecture
of Horace Walpole's home in London
. In 1896, the hall was modernised by Colonel John Formby who added the West Wing drawing room.
Throughout the years the hall had been inherited down the generations to the sons of the Lord of the Manor. Unfortunately this chain was ended in 1958 upon the death of Colonel John Frederick Lonsdale Formby whose sons had both died during the Second World War.
The estate was inherited to an Australian nephew but the fell into disrepair. In the 1970s, John Moores
Junior leased the hall and the lands and used it as a home to house children from the crowded areas of inner city Liverpool. In the 1980s the hall was once again left to elements and fell into dereliction.
It was during this period (or earlier) that the house acquired the paintings on the walls that became part of local folklore, most notably the large, striking painting of a woman's face above a fireplace on the house's west side. Executed in household paint, the face was reputed to be the centre of strange phenomena. The painting was removed or destroyed during the early part of the renovations in 1990.
After this, Richard Irving acquired the whole Formby estate. At that time it was a run down collection of derelict buildings and unkempt land. After two years of being frustrated by the local planners, he sold the Hall to another local businessman, who bought it as ‘site as seen’ without even conducting a survey and has restored the hall to its former glory.
The remaining land was sold to other local businessmen who developed a golf course.
Formby
Formby is a town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It has a population of approximately 25,000....
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, in secluded woodland adjoining the Formby Hall Golf and Country Club. The present house, built for William Formby, dates back to 1523 but it is believed that the Formby family has occupied the site since the 12th century.
Over the years the hall has seen many owners and occupants. Many modifications and additions have been made to the original building. For example the battlements were added in the 18th century by John Formby who took inspiration from the Gothic-style architecture
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
of Horace Walpole's home in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In 1896, the hall was modernised by Colonel John Formby who added the West Wing drawing room.
Throughout the years the hall had been inherited down the generations to the sons of the Lord of the Manor. Unfortunately this chain was ended in 1958 upon the death of Colonel John Frederick Lonsdale Formby whose sons had both died during the Second World War.
The estate was inherited to an Australian nephew but the fell into disrepair. In the 1970s, John Moores
John Moores
John Moores may refer to:*John Moores , former owner of the San Diego Padres*John Moores , British merchant*John H. Moores , American businessman and politician in the state of Oregon...
Junior leased the hall and the lands and used it as a home to house children from the crowded areas of inner city Liverpool. In the 1980s the hall was once again left to elements and fell into dereliction.
It was during this period (or earlier) that the house acquired the paintings on the walls that became part of local folklore, most notably the large, striking painting of a woman's face above a fireplace on the house's west side. Executed in household paint, the face was reputed to be the centre of strange phenomena. The painting was removed or destroyed during the early part of the renovations in 1990.
After this, Richard Irving acquired the whole Formby estate. At that time it was a run down collection of derelict buildings and unkempt land. After two years of being frustrated by the local planners, he sold the Hall to another local businessman, who bought it as ‘site as seen’ without even conducting a survey and has restored the hall to its former glory.
The remaining land was sold to other local businessmen who developed a golf course.
External links
- Formby Hall at Images of England, English Heritage
- Formby Hall Golf Club adjacent championship golf course