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My name is Jonathon Wild. I am a local Historian and have been actively involved in the historical aspect and campaigning of abandoned buildings (listed and none listed) for over twenty-five years in Liverpool. Born and bred in south Liverpool, I have had the misfortune of seeing a tremendous amount of buildings lost to the wrecker’s ball across Liverpool, but also more importantly, shared the frustration on campaigning for abandoned buildings in which some have seen no movement in twenty-five years.
However, it is not all doom and gloom. Two buildings which I have been at the forefront of helping to save and were threatened with demolition are St John the Divine’s Church, Fairfield, and the listed Grade 2 Eddesbury in West Derby (the former Margaret Beaven school). These buildings have been subject to a hard-fought campaign, one of which I stood up in front of a Judge in a Consistory Court, giving evidence on behalf of the building, as you do.
This website focuses on the Grade ONE Woolton Hall. Why? Because it has tremendous history going back to 1704 and history before this time too! It was extensively renovated in 1772 by the influential architect Robert Adam, the building is said to be praised as the finest example of Robert Adam’s work in the whole North of England!
​The building has seen several different owners, some of which have been caring of the building, others not so. Noted owners such as the Ashton family, the Molyneux family, it is currently in a shocking condition and has now caught the eye of Historic England, who after I advised on the plight of the buildings condition and history, was included in the 2021 At Risk Register for Historic England as a Category A site. The highest priority stating that the building is at ‘immediate risk of further rapid deterioration or loss of fabric.’
Woolton Hall has been subject to numerous break-ins, vandalism, fires and general ‘managed decline’ and I cannot believe it hasn’t been completely fire damaged by now. We have seen the utter destruction of the fire at Eddesbury in which we watched one of James Francis Doyle’s noted Grade II listed buildings burn.
We cannot let that happen with Woolton Hall.
I have focused on the building itself. Its floor plan, its extensions and part demolition and added various dates to the structure of the building. This is not the complete history of Woolton Hall, but in the limited time to get some much-needed publicity on the building, it’s a fantastic start!
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The campaign to save Woolton Hall started off on a hastily written PDF document so that this could be in the public domain. It was written at the start of the summer holidays where many of us were convinced that we would see another fire take place in the boundary. Thankfully, Woolton Hall has survived another summer term but we cannot be complacent. We need to watch on this building as much as we can and still report any further break-ins or trespass.
I would first like to thank the family of the late John Hibbert who at the time of writing the PDF booklet, John sadly passed away. John was instrumental in having the foresight to spend a great deal of his own money on the restoration of Woolton Hall in the 1980’s. He took a much unloved building at the time and turned it in to a fantastic ‘open for all’ building. The village of Woolton had a very elaborate community centre in regal splendour and many people have spoken about having a birthday celebration/wedding celebration at Woolton Hall. Furthermore, the masonic lodges that met there would have additionally funded the building’s upkeep. We must do all we can to assist in saving Woolton Hall in John’s honour.
Thanks go to Chris Cummings and his group Haunted Scouse for my list of questions on the layout of the building before I devised the floorplan. It was down to some of his fantastic recordings in Woolton Hall that I was able to see the layout with my own eyes.
My thanks extend to Joanna Morgan at Liverpool City Council who has responded to my many e-mail’s over the plight of Woolton Hall and allowed me to be kept informed of the latest proceedings. Without Joanna’s assistance, we would not have realised that the building has been recently inspected by their team. Despite many people simply pointing the finger at Liverpool City Council and directly blaming them for the state that Woolton Hall is in, we must carefully consider how Liverpool City Council can work with campaigners and both understand that we wish for the same outcome. I am delighted that Joanna is onboard with us and how quickly she responds to my e-mail's when I have made contact on an urgent item.
I would like to thank Save Britain’s Heritage (Liz Fuller) and Historic England for their assistance and their responses from my e-mail’s. Both groups have assisted me with publication in the past and I am very grateful that I can reach out to them for further guidance where needed.
Special thanks to the Woolton Society and especially Jean Davies who promised me a copy of the 1972 Janet P Gnosspelius report. I think another book could be written on Janet and her massive undertaking on her architect’s report as it was down to her report in which Woolton Hall was given Grade I listed status.
My sincere thanks go to Emily Hull who assisted me in putting the list of owners together. Emily is currently extensively researching on the more historical side of the owners including the owners’ wills, probates and family trees and will provide an outstanding view of the importance of the history of Woolton Hall’s history. These updates will be added to the website in due course and will be a fantastic insight in to the people who once owned the Hall! Thanks Em!
Many of the images have been sourced over the years from difference sources. I’m not the best at keeping copyright records, so apologies if I have taken a photograph used without express permission. It’s for the good of the Hall! Again, I have sourced floor-walk walkaround images from various YouTube footage – as they got in through a window, I don’t think they’ll have an issue with me using them for publicity.
For any contact on Woolton Hall, please click on the portfolio icon on the right hand side. Please note that I cannot provide tours of the building, I am not a keyholder of any sorts. If you see trespass in the grounds of Woolton Hall, please contact the relevant authorities.
Lastly, we must keep a watch on Woolton Hall as best possible. It is amazing that this building has survived 300 years and yet there has been destruction all around it. Vandalism, fires in the out-buildings, constant breaking in to the Hall so that the urban explorers notch up their 'likes'.
These buildings do not belong to us only...they have belonged to our forefathers and they will belong to our descendants unless we play them false. They are not our property, to do as we like with. We are only trustees for those that come after us.
SAVE WOOLTON HALL
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