View source for Croxteth Hall

{{Short description|Country house and estate in Liverpool, England}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox building
| name                = Croxteth Hall
| image               = Croxteth Hall - IMG 2456.JPG
| image_size          = 
| image_alt           = <!-- or |alt= -->
| image_caption       = Croxteth Hall in 2012
| coordinates         = {{coords|53.442|-2.891|format=dms|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| address             = [[West Derby]], [[Liverpool]], England
| years_built         = {{c.}} 1575 (southern end of east range)
| renovation_date     = c. 1702, 1874–77 and 1902 (extended)
| designations        = {{Designation list
  | embed                 = yes
  | designation1          = Grade II* Listed Building
  | designation1_offname  = Croxteth Hall
  | designation1_date     = 28 June 1952
  | designation1_number   = {{NHLE|num=1280299|short=y|postscript=none}}
  }}
}}

'''Croxteth Hall''' is a country estate and [[Grade II* listed]] building<ref>{{National Heritage List for England |num= 1280299|desc= Croxteth Hall, Liverpool|access-date= 12 July 2013}}</ref> in the [[West Derby]] suburb of [[Liverpool]], England. It is the former country estate and ancestral home of the [[Molyneux (surname)|Molyneux]] family, the [[Earls of Sefton]].<ref name="croxteth.co.uk">{{cite web |url=http://www.croxteth.co.uk/attractions/hall/index.asp |title=Historic Hall |access-date=2009-04-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327103022/http://www.croxteth.co.uk/attractions/hall/index.asp |archive-date=27 March 2009}}</ref> After the death of the seventh 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.<ref name="croxteth.co.uk"/>

==History==
[[File:Croxteth Hall Jones.jpg|thumb|left|240px|The hall in the 1820s]]
The original house was built in about 1575, and has been expanded in several stages in [[Tudor architecture|Tudor]], [[Georgian architecture|Georgian]], and [[Queen Anne style architecture|Queen Anne]] styles. The principal front, the west façade, was built in 1702. During this period, a bakery and a brewery were built though during the Victorian era these were demolished. In 1874 a wing was added for visitors to the hall to stay in.<ref name="Liverpool Echo 2018">{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=Mark |date=2 April 2018 |title=A look inside Liverpool's amazing Croxteth Hall |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/look-inside-liverpools-amazing-croxteth-14474324 |access-date=2 April 2018 |website=liverpoolecho.co.uk}}</ref>

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.<ref>Illustrated London News October 1851</ref>

The hall and its outbuilding are a [[Grade II* listed]] building, as are three of the outbuildings; another 15 buildings on the estate are Grade II. The Molyneux family lived at the hall from the 16th&nbsp;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 {{cvt|500|acre|km2|lk=in}} 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 era|Victorian]] walled garden and a working country farm.

The walled garden is home to what remains of the Liverpool Botanics. This is one of the oldest horticultural collections in Britain, founded by [[William Roscoe]] in 1802. Amongst the tropical plants is the National Collection of ''[[Dracaena (plant)|Dracaena]]'' (dragon trees); there are orchids and the National Collection of ''[[Codiaeum]]''; [[pelargonium]]s and the National Collection of ''[[Solenostemon]]'' (coleus) as well as a rich collection of [[bromeliads]]. Liverpool was once world-famous for its orchids as the collection is composed mainly of wild collected species rather than the more usual garden hybrids.

In March 2013, it was announced that a £400,000 programme would be undertaken to restore the damaged Queen Anne wing which was gutted by fire in 1952.<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{Cite news |date=2013-03-05 |title=Restoration for fire damaged hall |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-21668283 |access-date=24 June 2025 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref>

Liverpool City Council announced in 2017 that they were looking for bids from developers to manage the hall and park with the facility costing the council over £1&nbsp;million a year to run.<ref>{{cite web |last=Thorp |first=Liam |date=6 July 2017 |title=Bidding war for Croxteth Hall to begin with big-name developers in the mix |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/bidding-war-croxteth-hall-park-13286769 |access-date=22 March 2018 |website=liverpoolecho.co.uk}}</ref> By January 2018, two bids had been submitted to run the hall and park, one of which planned to use the facility as a luxury hotel, spa and wedding venue.<ref>{{cite web |last=Thorp |first=Liam |date=11 January 2018 |title=Future of Croxteth Hall to be decided in weeks – but there could be a twist |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/future-croxteth-hall-decided-weeks-14138439 |access-date=22 March 2018 |website=liverpoolecho.co.uk}}</ref> However, by March 2018 the council announced plans to run the facility itself, aiming to develop it into a tourist attraction, hosting concerts, fairs and markets.<ref>{{cite web|title=Liverpool Council shelves plans to outsource running of Croxteth Hall and unveils ambitious growth plan – Liverpool Business News|url=http://lbndaily.co.uk/liverpool-council-shelves-plans-outsource-running-croxteth-hall-unveils-ambitious-plan/|website=Liverpool Business News|access-date=22 March 2018|date=19 March 2018}}</ref>

The hall had to have urgent structural work undertaken during the summer of 2020 when an engineering report discovered that repairs were needed to chimney breasts, guttering and roof linings, costing around £650,000.<ref>{{cite news |last=McDonough |first=Tony |title=Liverpool's Croxteth Hall in need of 'urgent' repairs |url=https://lbndaily.co.uk/liverpools-croxteth-hall-need-urgent-repairs/ |access-date=13 August 2022 |work=Liverpool Business News |date=29 June 2020}}</ref>

==Future==
Liverpool City Council announced a public consultation in August 2022 as to how the park and hall could be used and generate more revenue.<ref>{{cite news |last=McDonough |first=Tony |title=Liverpool launches Croxteth Hall consultation |url=https://lbndaily.co.uk/liverpool-launches-croxteth-hall-consultation/ |access-date=13 August 2022 |work=Liverpool Business News |date=10 August 2022}}</ref> The public were invited to give their views on a number of ideas, including the creation of a pet crematorium, paid parking and the types of events they would like to see held there.

==The park==
The park is listed at Grade&nbsp;II, and is a [[country park]].<ref>{{National Heritage List for England |num= 1001304|desc= Croxteth Hall|access-date= 12 July 2013|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> It also contains Mull Wood, which is part of the {{convert|85|ha|adj=on}} Croxteth [[Local Nature Reserve]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lnr.naturalengland.org.uk/Special/lnr/lnr_details.asp?C=0&N=croxteth&ID=1239|title=Croxteth|series=Local Nature Reserves|publisher=Natural England|access-date=4 August 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130804114540/http://www.lnr.naturalengland.org.uk/Special/lnr/lnr_details.asp?C=0&N=croxteth&ID=1239|archive-date=4 August 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=lnrIndex&query=REF_CODE%3D%271123041%27|title=Map of Croxteth|series=Local Nature Reserves|publisher=Natural England|access-date=4 August 2013}}</ref> In partnership with Lancashire Wildlife Trust, the reserve was 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. [http://www.myerscough.ac.uk/default.aspx?page=liverpool-home 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.

Each Saturday at 9 a.m. the park hosts a free, weekly, timed 5&nbsp;km [[parkrun]] event starting and finishing at the hall.<ref>https://www.parkrun.org.uk/croxtethhall/ Croxteth Hall parkrun</ref>

==Kennels==
The [[kennel]]s in Croxteth Hall Lane were built in the 1870s and are a [[Grade II listed]] building.<ref name=images>{{National Heritage List for England |num= 1206369|desc= Kennels at Croxteth Hall|access-date= 12 July 2013|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> They were designed by the [[Chester]] architect [[John Douglas (English architect)|John Douglas]] for the [[William Molyneux, 4th Earl of Sefton|4th&nbsp;Earl of Sefton]].<ref>{{citation |last=Hubbard |first=Edward |author-link=Edward Hubbard (architectural historian) |title=The Work of John Douglas |publisher=[[The Victorian Society]] |year=1991 |location=London |page=277 |isbn=978-0-901657-16-9}}</ref> 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 [[Bay (architecture)|bays]]; the left two bays consist of the kennels and the bay on the right is higher with a steeper half-[[hip roof|hipped roof]]. There is a tall brick chimney stack.<ref name=images/> The kennels are currently occupied and maintained by the Croxteth Park Volunteer Group (founded 2017).{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

==See also==
* [[Grade II* listed buildings in Liverpool – Suburbs]]
* [[Grade II* listed buildings in Merseyside]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{official website|https://www.croxteth-hall.co.uk/}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090417091822/http://www.croxteth.co.uk/ Official Site] (old)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930222657/http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/search/detail.asp?calledFrom=oai&imageUID=15976 Dairy]
* {{EHbarName|Croxteth+hall}}
* [http://www.croxtethpark.co.uk Croxteth Park Information Site]
* [https://www.angelfire.com/my/croxtethFriends/ Friends of Croxteth Hall]
{{Green Liverpool}}

[[Category:Grade II* listed buildings in Liverpool]]
[[Category:Country houses in Merseyside]]
[[Category:Grade II listed parks and gardens in Merseyside]]
[[Category:John Douglas buildings]]
[[Category:Historic house museums in Merseyside]]
[[Category:Country parks in Merseyside]]
[[Category:Museums in Liverpool]]
[[Category:Local Nature Reserves in Merseyside]]
[[Category:Parks and commons in Liverpool]]
[[Category:Grade II* listed houses in Merseyside]]
[[Category:Grade II* listed museum buildings]]
[[Category:1570s establishments in England]]