Bank Hall

Bank Hall
The Daffodils on the Tower Lawn at Bank Hall
General information
Architectural style	Jacobean
Town or city	Bretherton
Country	England
Construction started	1608
Completed	1833
Client	George Anthony Legh Keck
Technical details
Structural system	Brick
Design and construction
Architect(s)	George Webster (Architect) 1832 [Renovation]

Bank Hall is a Grade II* Listed Building, the Bank Hall mansion house is a fine example of Jacobean architecture and is situated to the south of the village of Bretherton, Lancashire. The River Douglas runs through the west of the Bank Hall estate along side the West Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The present building of Bank Hall was first built in 1608 by the Bannister Family who where evicted from their family seat at Prestatyn Castle in Wales in 1240. There is believed to have been a timber structure on the site prior to the 1608 construction.

Bank Hall was extended during the 18th and 19th century by the many descendants throughout the family tree which included the Bannister's, Fleetwood's, Legh's and the Keck's (later becoming Legh-Keck). The main extensions being in 1832-1833 to the design of the architect George Webster (1797-1864) (who was also the architect for the since demolished Penwortham Priory.)

The Bannister Family

In 1608 the Bannister Family built the first phase of the present Bank Hall building and demolished part of the timber structure of the old Bank Hall building, the new build was a rectangular shaped building and had two rooms to the East and a room and staircase to the West with a grand hall in the centre with a screen and grand fireplace. There is believed to have been a wooden building extension on where the East wing is today during the 1608 building's construction. The Bannister's gained their wealth from farming and leasing their land off to tenants.

Legh Keck

The 1832-1933 extensions where designed by the Architect George Webster who had been ordered to design the grand and lavish extensions by George Anthony Legh Keck, who was the last resident owner of Bank Hall. It is thought that during the occupation of Legh Keck, the Aga Khan visited Bank Hall. After the death of his wife Elizabeth (who was also his first cousin) in 1837 and himself in 1860, Legh-Keck left no heir, so Bank Hall then passed to Legh-Keck's Sister-in-law and her husband who was Thomas Powys, 3rd Lord Lilford.

Lord Lilford

Bank Hall is still in the Lilford Estates today and the current Lord Lilford resides in South Africa and Jersey. After the death of Legh-Keck Bank Hall was used as a holiday home by the Lilford Family until the late 1800s and was then leased out by Lord Lilford to Sir Harcourt Clare and his family.

Sir Harcourt Clare

Sir Harcourt was the second ever Clerk to Lancashire County Council.

Edward Frederick Crippin

The Second tenant was Edward Frederick Crippin who was a rich businessman from Wigan who owned Bryn Hall Colliery in Ashton-in-Makerfield. Unfortunately he died a year later at the hall after his tenancy began. He was the tenant who renovated the Bank Hall sanitation systems.

The Seddon-Brown Family

The next tenants were the Seddon-Brown family, Lieutenant Cornel Sir Norman Seddon-Brown was the owner of a very successful Cotton Mill business in Lancashire which had mills scattered across the county.

On 1st January 1936 Lieut.-Col. Norman Seddon-Brown, was knighted in the New Year's Honours List. Norman Seddon-Brown was a former chairman of Wigan Constitutional Association.

In 1938 Sir Norman and Lady Seddon-Brown moved to live at a house called Escowbeck, at Caton and the hall lay vacant yet again.

In 1940 Dennis Seddon-Brown the youngest son of Colonel Sir Norman and Lady Seddon-Brown, (who then lived in Caton,) was promoted to the title of Captain in the Royal Artillery, Serg't.

World War II

The outbreak of war saw the army billited at Bank Hall and they manned all the movement of the ports between Barrow-in-Furness in the North and Holyhead in Wales. This included Liverpool which was the main port to Europe of its time due to the Trans-Atlantic Route.

Post War

After the War Bank Hall was handed back to the Lilford Estates who kept their estate office in the East Wing of the House until 1972 when the house was vacated.

Bank Hall Action Group

In 1995 the Bank Hall Action Group are a 100% voluntary group who formed with the purpose to raise the public awareness of Bank Hall and aim for Restoration. They have been working to the present day to raise funds by holding events throughout the year and also by raise awareness of the buildings importance and condition and the urgency for action to save the building. The Heritage Trust for the North West have played a vital part of helping the Bank Hall Action Group raise the awareness of Bank Hall and shall also run a visitor centre from Bank Hall when the building is restored.

Bank Hall in the media

Bank Hall featured on the first series of the BBC's Restoration series in 2003. Bank Hall was the first building to open the first heat of the program which asked the public to vote for a listed building they thought should be restored. Bank Hall was in the North West category against Bracken Hill Tower, near Carlisle and The Victoria Baths in Manchester. Despite being knocked out this heat by the Victoria Baths who went on to win this series, Bank Hall came overall second on votes compared to the rest of the buildings in the rest of the series.

Bank Hall was also a filming location in The Haunted House of Horror (1969) that was produced by Tigon British Film Productions

Future plans

In 2006 the Bank Hall Action Group confirmed that property developers Urban Splash where taken on board to help restore Bank Hall and develop a business plan to restore Bank Hall. The Heritage Trust for the North West are also keen to develop the old Potting Sheds, Greenhouse and Walled Kitchen Garden to a heritage kitchen garden that shall also be open to the public with the rest of the leisure grounds that are home to the many specimen trees and flowers.

Flowers

There are many flowers at Bank Hall but the main ones that have been identified are:

• Snowdrop- There are many varieties of snowdrop at Bank Hall and due to the rarity of some of them. The rare ones have been removed off site for protection until the hall is restored.

• Daffodil- There are many varieties also of daffodil that dominate the grounds after the snowdrops have finished blooming.

• Bluebell- The bluebells come in many shades of colour which include blue, purple, pink and white.

• Primrose- Bank Hall was known locally for the masses of primroses that grew in the grounds back in it's time of inhabitance, unfortunately due to the 1980's plantation of trees the primroses have died off but are now making a comeback with conservation action being taken to ensure they continue to grow.

• Clamatis - There is a giant clamatis plant that grows over an arch way by the North Wing of the house which has spread to the perimeter fence and created a wall. (The arch plant has been pruned back due to the post rotting away in March 2009).

• Red Campion- Is one of the many flowers that dominates the rear gardens in the summer, which creates a meadow effect with the long grasses.

• Rohdedendron - There are many rohdedendrons scattered amongst the Bank Hall estate and flank the carriage drive. They flower with colours like magenta, purple and a rare white. Some of the rohdedendrons in the leisure gardens have been pruned back so new growth can reshape the bushes.

Trees

• Atlas Cedar

• Beech

• Cherry Tree

• Coast Redwood

• Common Yew - There is a 550+ year old specimen in the grounds of Bank Hall that could be the oldest one in Lancashire!

• Deodar Cedar

• Dawn Redwood - It is thaught that due to the rarity of this tree, that in the early 1900s explorers brought back some specimens from China to Kew Gardens in London and some where given as a gift to the residents at Bank Hall at the time.

• Fern - There are many types of fern at Bank Hall some of which have been growing in the building since early 1980's when the roof collapsed on the west wing. The ferns are still being identified at present.

• Hawthorn

• Holly

• Hornbeam

• Horse Chestnut- There are a few specimens in the grounds but the main one is on the Bank of the River Douglas which has grown into a wall like shape with many branches creating the wall effect.

• Irish Yew

• Lebanon Cedar - A new specimen was planted in the grounds to replace the original that was cut down in the 1980's.

• Lime Tree - Some of these trees flanked the driveway to the front porch and 'maidens walk'. The beautiful carriage drive is still lined by the tall lime trees today.

• Magnolia - These are the three trees that are growing out the side of the East Wing. They where planted to grow up the wall and since been left to do as they please they are now growing from the buildings foundations.

• Oak

• Scots pine

• Silver Birch

• Sycamore - These are seen as a weed at Bankl Hall and damaged other trees in the past due to their fast growth and competition for space. Some old specimens are being kept but trees that are cut down are replaced with specimen trees.

• Wellingtonia - This is the tallest tree in the Bank Hall grounds and some smaller specimens can also be seen in the grounds.

Gallery

• 
  Daffodils at Bank Hall
• 
  Tower Lawn at Bank Hall
• 
  Snowdrops on the Vista
• 
  Daffodils on the Vista
• 
  Snowdrop Carpets by the West Wing
• 
  Snowdrops and Tower Lawn
• 
  Snowdrops at the front of Bank Hall
• 
  Front of Bank Hall
• 
  A View of the Grade II* Listed Clock Tower that contains the Oak cantilevered staircase
• 
  View of the North West Wing from the 1930's Swimming Pool Area
• The Bank Hall Leisure Grounds and Parkland Aerial View
  The Bank Hall Leisure Grounds and Parkland Aerial View

Trivia

• Bank Hall was a Film location for the The Haunted House of Horror along with the near by since demolished Birkdale Palace Hotel, Southport.
• Local Maps from 1845 show "Bank Mill" which was the old windmill, and is situated between Bank Bridge and Plocks Farm. The windmill was converted into private housing in the 1950s, the kneen family lived in the north west wing of Bank Hall while the work was in progress.
• The Bank Hall Action Group was formed in 1995, by Patricia and Jack Curren and their daughter Diana, after stumbling across Bank Hall by luck whilst out walking.
• Bank Hall has over 100 Yew Trees in its grounds and many more specimen trees
• The tallest specimen tree at Bank Hall is the Wellingtonia that towers over the woodland at the back of the house.
• The oldest specimen tree at Bank Hall is the English Yew which is over 550 years old, pre dating the present house!
• In March 2008 a member of the Bank Hall Action Group found a date stamp, which still bares the date from when it was last used which was "6th August 1945" This item along with many others which have yet to be found will have been 'disposed' in the grounds of Bank Hall when the war ended in 1945.
• It is thought that before the present house was built the Bannistre Family had built a wooden house that was demolished to create the 1608 house.
• The Bannistre Family where evicted from Prestatyn Castle in Wales and bought the land at Bank Hall in 1240, by where they constructed a wooden house.

External links

• Bank Hall Events and Fundraising website
• The Bank Hall Website
• Heritage Trust for the North West