Stanlaw Grange circa 1292

Hi All

The existing structure of Stanlawe Grange on the north side of Aigburth Hall Avenue close to Aigburth Road was originally a medieval cruck (oak beam) and sandstone farm building that was converted in the 1970's to residential use. It is the oldest existing structure in the city of Liverpool. The building was in existence at least as far back as 1292, it seems, according to a record in the Coucher Book of Whalley Abbey compiled in that year. The remaining building was part of a complex of monastic farm buildings under the supervision of Stanlaw Abbey near present-day Ellesmere Port. The Cistercian abbey was later taken over by Whalley Abbey near Preston.

I first became interested in this building as a schoolboy living in Mossley Hill just up the road from the old structure in the early 1960's and at that time I met Miss Frith, an elderly lady who lived in the building. I believe she told me she was a relative, possibly a grand niece, of Francis Frith (1822-1898), the noted photographer, who has left us various images of Liverpool and other locales throughout the British Isles. Miss Frith had a marked interest in the fact that the buildings appear to have been used to hide Catholic priests who were persecuted under the Tudor and Stuart monarchies. The priests would have been coming to minister to the then occupants of nearby Aigburth Hall, then owned by the Tarleton and Harrington families. There are some crude initials inscribed on the outside wall of some steps leading up the "granary" -- the southeastern end of the building which are believed to be those of Jesuit priests who are believed to have been buried on the property.

I took black and white photographs of Stanlaw Grange in the Sixties that I hope to post soon but meanwhile the following are new colour photographs I took eleven days ago.

Shown first is the western end of the property with a sandstone mullioned window with mason's marks that match similar mason's symbols seen at Birkenhead Priory on the Wirral. Next a wider view of the range of the 104 foot building and third a shot of the granary steps mentioned above, now overgrown with creeper.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/194/5...8fce84fe_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/215/5...c946e6a3_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/252/5...d9ad646c_b.jpg


Next is seen the eastern gable end of the remaining that adjoined a "monk's house" so-called in Griffith's The History of the Royal and Ancient Park of Toxteth (1907) which contains a photograph of it before its demolition in the early years of the twentieth century. Door and window (?) openings are still evident in the gable end. The building with chimney at back is a new addition. Last is shown a remnant of a wall remaining from an "upper barn" with window embrasures that forms the eastern boundary of the nursery that now occupies where the monk's house and barn stood. A "lower barn" stood on the western end of the existing building, toward Aigburth Road.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/217/5...07219873_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/252/5...481fd278_b.jpg

For more information on Stanlaw Grange, see Mike Royden's Local History Pages.

Chris

excellent views Chris, cheers:)

http://http://img192.imageshack.us/i...itterblues.png

Friggin ell scouse mouse on another thread. And it took him 3 years to get over to it, get back over to that other one you :002:

Hi Ged and Scouse Mouse

Good to see this thread revived. Thanks. I think Stanlaw Grange is an important survivor of Liverpool's rich past. Some people say "Ah but it was only a farm building." Well, nonetheless, when you consider that the city has lost so many of its earlier buildings (the Castle, the Tower, the Sailor's Home), I think it's grand that we still have this one. Of course it's close to my heart because I used to live up the road, at 76 Aigburth Hall Avenue, when I lived there with my grandparents while attending Rose Lane School, and later Quarry Bank and then just my Grandad after Nanna died in January 1965.

All the best

Chris

Hi Chris,
I'd never heard of the place. Is Aigburth Hall what became Aigburth Peoples Hall? I was a member there in 1967-68 and played snooker there with mates.

This one?

http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/2...eopleshome.jpg


http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/1...hdetailing.jpg

.

Yes Ged.
Thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kevin

Hi Chris,
I'd never heard of the place. Is Aigburth Hall what became Aigburth Peoples Hall? I was a member there in 1967-68 and played snooker there with mates.

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Sorry, Kevin, no I believe the original Aigburth Hall of the Tarleton and Harrington families, which was to the south of Aigburth Hall Avenue, was demolished circa 1840. There's information on Mike Royden's site as mentioned above.

C

Excellent work Chris,

"Stanlaw Grange", the name was familiar, but that's all I knew of it. Thanks for all the info.

Cheers,

Daz

Aiggy Hall:

Copyright LRO.

Attachment 14721

Aigburth Hall when about to undergo demolition in 1935.

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/3...ldemol1935.jpg


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Liverpool Record Office Archive have some old photographs online, by J. Pinnington.
http://archive.liverpool.gov.uk/dser...7stanlaw%27%29

The photos are not on line though are they, just the reference numbers for viewing them in the LRO?

12 large photos by J. Pinnington can be viewed online, I've just tested them.
Scroll to bottom of first page, they continue on page 2. They are approx. 1800-2000 pixels in size.
http://archive.liverpool.gov.uk/dser...7stanlaw%27%29

Sorry marky, yes of course they can. Cheers.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cadfael

Aiggy Hall:

Copyright LRO.

Attachment 14721

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Thanks for the great photographs, everyone.

Just a note that view was of the "Aigburth Hall" where John A. Brodie, the City Engineer, lived rather than the original Aigburth Hall that was a home to the Tarleton and Harrington families resided.

Chris

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChrisGeorge

John A. Brodie, the City Engineer

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Very interesting Chris. A snippbit side here:

"Brodie recognised how important the motor car was going to be in the future. He was a Vice-President of the Liverpool Self-Propelled Traffic Association, which went on to become the Royal Automobile Club (RAC). He also found the time to invent goal nets for use in football matches."

Text quoted from the E. Chambré Hardman Archive

There were three Aigburth Halls.
The third one was built in 1840 for Peter Challoner.

Awesome series of photos. Well done.

Drawing shows the steps leading to the monk's refrectory (NB the artist has written this at the bottom, but a note says it is the monk's granary). Someone confirm?

Courtesy LRO

Great to see this illustration of Stanlawe Grange. It is new to me and is fascinating to see. What is called the granary is the lower building in the foreground that ends at the top of the steps with the gable end. The so-called monk's house or "refrectory" as they term it in the watercolor is the higher of the two buildings and is now demolished. You can see the same gable end in my photograph from 2007. The area where the monk's house stood is now an entranceway and the adjoining nursery as can be seen below. A shame some of the original buildings were swept away but at least the granary, what remains of the grange, has been preserved and renovated.

Chris

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/217/5...1b07219873.jpg

On this page on Mike Royden's site, the monk's house is shown in the second photograph down from the top, with the man with horse and cart standing in front of it.

http://www.btinternet.com/~m.royden/...tic/mondoc.htm

Facinating, I grew up in Stanlawe Grange and lived there from 1968 to 1976. My grandparents lived next door in the Granary for much longer (until the early 1990s). Love seeing the pictures! Thank you for posting them.

Thanks swimmy,

Kev

Sent from the back of Michael Caine's Mini Cooper S, holding on for dear life......

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Swimmy68

Facinating, I grew up in Stanlawe Grange and lived there from 1968 to 1976. My grandparents lived next door in the Granary for much longer (until the early 1990s). Love seeing the pictures! Thank you for posting them.

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Thanks, Swimmy. Did you ever meet Miss Frith? She was living at Stanlawe Grange in 1963 when as a schoolboy I got up the gumption to knock on the door and enquire about the building. She gave me a tour of the property. I understood that she was a niece of the photographer, Francis Frith. She was quite aged when I knew her. As I recall, as a Catholic she was quite interested in the fact that Catholic priests supposedly were hidden at Aigburth Hall during the persecutions. As you may know, there are some initials on the sandstone wall of the granary steps which might or might not be those of priests who were buried at Stanlawe Grange. I have a photograph of the inscriptions that I took at the time that I will try to post. The other thing interesting is that there is a mason's mark like a double "H" on the mullioned window at the western end of the grange and I saw the same mark at Birkenhead Priory which probably indicates that the same man worked on building both properties.

Chris

No Chris, sadly not. I was born in 1968 so I suspect if Miss Frith was elderly in 1963...

My architect father (David Brock) renovated Stanlawe Grange into the current two homes in the late 60's. I have very clear memories of living there, although I'm sure the place was haunted! I recall the inscriptions on my Granny's steps, but have no idea what they were of...so thank you for your insights and your history.

Looking at your profile, we are both scouses in the US, I now live in Houston!

I'll ask my Mum if she ever met Miss Frith, and will post any pictures of the house from when we were living there.

I will follow these bogs with great interest.

Charlotte

Hi there, I am a direct descendent of John A Brodie and live in NZ. I am having trouble looking at the photos of the Hall as it stood in his day. I was wondering if there was a way I could look at them for free on line. I have managed to find an old photo but would be interested in seeing more. Thanks for any help you may be able to give me.

Amanda

I will post one up later and also of its demolition.

thanks so much Jed