Thingwall House
Encyclopedia
Thingwall House was a Jacobethan
manor house
built in 1869 by Henry Bright
, the shipping magnate, and was originally known as Ashfield. It is set on a 4.8 acres (19,424.9 m²) site in the district of Knotty Ash
, Liverpool
, England
. It should not be confused with Thingwall Hall
, a local stately home
just a few minutes walk further south.
Engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel
and American author Nathaniel Hawthorne
are amongst the important guests who stayed at the house while it was owned by the wealthy Bright family.
In 1921 it was bequeathed by the Bright family to the city of Liverpool on condition that it was held in trust to be used as a home for 'girls of feeble mind'. It was owned by the Knotty Ash Special School Trust with Liverpool Council serving as its trustees.
campaigners.
In 2003 comedian Ken Dodd
began a campaign to use the building to house a national archive, museum and school of British
comedy. He also offered to donate his own private collection of comedy memorabilia for the museum. The proposal also included plans for the grounds to become a wildlife haven and park. The campaign was supported by the local newspaper, the Liverpool Echo
in its Stop the Rot
campaign aimed at saving local architecture and heritage.
In November 2003 the building was partially destroyed by an arson
attack that had been predicted by Ken Dodd and other campaigners due to a lack of security on the site. Campaigners accused the council of deliberately supplying the house and grounds with inadequate security, with the further suggestion that if the building was vandalised beyond recovery the council could then argue there could be no public objections to selling the site for property development.
A further arson attack in May 2004 badly damaged the first and second floors of the building and destroyed the roof, also causing a partial collapse in a large section of the house while the fire was still blazing. Shortly thereafter the remaining part of the house was bulldozed by the council on the grounds of health and safety. However the campaigners still insisted that the park and grounds should be preserved and that the land not be used for development.
Ken Dodd and the Knotty Ash Village Conservation Society then put forward proposals for the site to become a nature reserve
for children with special learning needs, supported by Mersey Forest
and the Forestry Commission
.
In April 2006 and with campaigners having raised £80,000 the overgrown site was once again damaged by vandals, this time trees were vandalised and burned before work could begin on the proposed outdoor centre.
On 15 February 2008 Liverpool City Council
's agreed to hand over the land to the Liverpool Lighthouse charity. Planned facilities at the nature garden include an eco house and a visitor centre.
The park is planned to close to the public in January 2009 while work is carried out and is expected to re-open later that year in July.
Jacobethan
Jacobethan is the style designation coined in 1933 by John Betjeman to describe the mixed national Renaissance revival style that was made popular in England from the late 1820s, which derived most of its inspiration and its repertory from the English Renaissance , with elements of Elizabethan and...
manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
built in 1869 by Henry Bright
Henry Bright
Henry Bright was a scholar, teacher, and school chaplainBright was educated at Winchester College and New College, Oxford, where he became a Fellow and chaplain. He was the headmaster of Abingdon School from 1758 to 1774, and of New College School, Oxford, from 1774 to 1790)...
, the shipping magnate, and was originally known as Ashfield. It is set on a 4.8 acres (19,424.9 m²) site in the district of Knotty Ash
Knotty Ash
Knotty Ash is an area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England and a Liverpool City Council Ward. Historically within Lancashire, at the 2001 Census, the population was 13,200.-Description:...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It should not be confused with Thingwall Hall
Thingwall Hall
Thingwall Hall is a former stately home situated in the Knotty Ash district of Liverpool, England. The grade II listed building was built early in the 19th century and was originally set in of grounds. It can upon occasion be mistaken for the nearby Thingwall House.-History:A Liverpool merchant...
, a local stately home
Stately home
A stately home is a "great country house". It is thus a palatial great house or in some cases an updated castle, located in the British Isles, mostly built between the mid-16th century and the early part of the 20th century, as well as converted abbeys and other church property...
just a few minutes walk further south.
Engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
and American author Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
are amongst the important guests who stayed at the house while it was owned by the wealthy Bright family.
In 1921 it was bequeathed by the Bright family to the city of Liverpool on condition that it was held in trust to be used as a home for 'girls of feeble mind'. It was owned by the Knotty Ash Special School Trust with Liverpool Council serving as its trustees.
Campaign for refurbishment
However by the late 1990s the site was disused and proposals were put forward by property developers for the site to be used as a housing estate, but which was subsequently defeated by conservationConservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
campaigners.
In 2003 comedian Ken Dodd
Ken Dodd
Kenneth Arthur Dodd OBE is a British comedian and singer songwriter, famous for his frizzy hair or “fluff dom” and buck teeth or “denchers”, his favourite cleaner, the feather duster and his greeting "How tickled I am!", as well as his send-off “Lots and Lots of Happiness!”...
began a campaign to use the building to house a national archive, museum and school of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedy. He also offered to donate his own private collection of comedy memorabilia for the museum. The proposal also included plans for the grounds to become a wildlife haven and park. The campaign was supported by the local newspaper, the Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
The Liverpool Echo is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Saturday, and is Liverpool's evening newspaper while its sister paper, the Liverpool Daily Post, is the morning paper...
in its Stop the Rot
Stop the Rot
Stop the Rot is a campaign launched in October 2000 by the Liverpool Echo newspaper with the aim of rescuing and preserving the rich architectural heritage of Liverpool and the greater Merseyside area...
campaign aimed at saving local architecture and heritage.
In November 2003 the building was partially destroyed by an arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
attack that had been predicted by Ken Dodd and other campaigners due to a lack of security on the site. Campaigners accused the council of deliberately supplying the house and grounds with inadequate security, with the further suggestion that if the building was vandalised beyond recovery the council could then argue there could be no public objections to selling the site for property development.
A further arson attack in May 2004 badly damaged the first and second floors of the building and destroyed the roof, also causing a partial collapse in a large section of the house while the fire was still blazing. Shortly thereafter the remaining part of the house was bulldozed by the council on the grounds of health and safety. However the campaigners still insisted that the park and grounds should be preserved and that the land not be used for development.
Ken Dodd and the Knotty Ash Village Conservation Society then put forward proposals for the site to become a nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
for children with special learning needs, supported by Mersey Forest
Mersey Forest
This article is about a community forest in the United Kingdom. See also Mersey Forest, Tasmania.The Mersey Forest is a network of woodlands and green spaces being created across Merseyside and North Cheshire by a wide-ranging partnership of different organisations including local authorities,...
and the Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
.
In April 2006 and with campaigners having raised £80,000 the overgrown site was once again damaged by vandals, this time trees were vandalised and burned before work could begin on the proposed outdoor centre.
On 15 February 2008 Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It consists of 90 councillors, three for each of the city's 30 wards. The council is currently controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Joe Anderson.-Domain:...
's agreed to hand over the land to the Liverpool Lighthouse charity. Planned facilities at the nature garden include an eco house and a visitor centre.
The park is planned to close to the public in January 2009 while work is carried out and is expected to re-open later that year in July.