Work on restoring a fire-hit wing of Liverpool’s Croxteth Hall has been completed – meaning the Hall can be fully used for the first time in more than 60 years.
The Queen Anne or south-west wing of the Hall was hit by a blaze in December 1952. The fire gutted much of the wing’s interior and it has remained out of bounds since then.
Two of the rooms, next to the Old Dining Room, have been restored and brought back into public use in a £400,000 programme, funded through the Croxteth Estate Endowment Trust Fund.
The new function suite has been carefully designed to complement the existing Hall room. It involved major structural work, plastering, the installation of wood panelling, new windows and lighting along with a major decoration scheme and the provision of additional function facilities. The work also included a new entrance Hall, toilets and cloakroom area.
The Hall’s Library and Old Dining Room along with the restored rooms will be used for weddings, conferences and other functions. There have been several bookings already for events using the restored wing.
It is estimated that at least £140,000 a year will be raised through the additional facilities at the Hall.
Joe Anderson, the Mayor of Liverpool, said: “Not only are we bringing a historic building back into full use we will be generating much-needed income for the city.
“This restoration programme will pay off many times over especially as it was paid for out of an endowment fund, meaning it did not add anything extra to our budget. It is a great example of how we are investing to earn.
“Croxteth Hall is a major asset for Liverpool and this work opens it up to an even wider audience.”
Councillor Peter Mitchell, Mayoral lead on parks and open spaces, said:”Croxteth Hall is a real jewel in Liverpool’s heritage.
“The Queen Anne wing is generally regarded as the most interesting part of the building but it has never been fully open to the public so it is great that they will finally be able to access it 60 years after it was badly damaged.
“The only sad part about this situation is that the former chef at the Hall, Raymond Lempereur who raised the alarm about the fire, died before he could see the work completed although he was able to see it start.”
Croxteth Hall is a Grade 11* listed building and the former home of the Earls of Sefton. The Queen Anne wing dates from the early eighteenth century.
Work on its restoration was carried out by Nobles Construction Ltd.