A wing of Liverpool’s famous Croxteth Hall damaged by fire more than 60 years ago is to be brought back into use and made available to the public.
The Queen Anne or south-west wing of the Hall was hit by a catastrophic blaze in December 1952. Although the exterior was retained much of the interior was gutted and has remained out of bounds since then.
Now two of the rooms, next to the Old Dining Room are to be restored and brought back into public use in a £400,000 programme, funded through the Croxteth Estate Endowment Trust Fund.
Work will include plastering, installing wood paneling, new windows and lighting along with a major decoration scheme to make them look as stylish as the original.The work has been agreed with English Heritage.
As well as restoring the rooms to their elegant décor, an extra bar and further toilet will be provided.
It is estimated that at least £140,000 a year will be raised through the additional facilities at the Hall, generating much needed extra income.This will allow the Hall’s Library and Old Dining Room along with the restored rooms to be hired-out for weddings and other functions.
Joe Anderson, the Mayor of Liverpool, said: “Croxteth Hall is one of Liverpool’s biggest attractions and this restoration work will open it up to an even wider audience. It is not going to add anything to our budget as it is being paid for through an endowment fund set up for work such as this.
“We are ensuring one of Liverpool’s historic buildings is going to be used to a much greater extent than it ever
“While the income will, of course, be very welcome, it is perhaps more significant that we are bringing an important part of the city’s heritage back into use after 60 years,” said Councillor Peter Mitchell, Mayoral lead on parks and open spaces.has been.”
“Croxteth Hall is a very popular attraction for visitors and this latest development will make it even more attractive for wedding parties, conferences and other events.
“The Queen Anne
wing is regarded as the most interesting part of the Hall architecturally and it is 300 years old. It has never been fully open for public use but now we are going to have access to much more of it for the first time in over 60 years.”
Artist’s impressions and plans of the restored wing will be on show at the Hall.Nobles Construction Ltd have been appointed contractors. Work is expected to start in Spring and be completed in the summer this year.
