An historic 18th century English mansion that was once sold for a mere £1 has recently gone onto the market with an asking price of £2.3 million.
The Grade-I listed Barlaston Hall in Staffordshire England is an 8 bedroom country mansion, with 5 reception rooms and five bathrooms, residing within 4.5 acres of land.
The building and its restoration has been classed as one of the most significant success stories in English building heritage.
Barlaston Hall was built by well known architect Sir Robert Taylor for Thomas Mills in 1756. The property stayed within the Mills family line for several generations.
Ralph Thomas Adderley, the High Sheriff of Staffordshire also lived there until his death in 1931.
At this time the estate compromised over 380 acres. In 1937 the famous Wedgwood Pottery company bought the property and surrounding grounds. There they built the company factory, and model village for its workforce.
During WW2, the Bank of England used the hall. After the war it became the Wedgwood Memorial College.
However, by this point the 200-year-old country estate was beginning to show signs of neglect. Dry rot was found, and it transpired that local coal mining operations was causing the property to subside.
The once beautiful library was left to rot
Structurally unsound, the Wedgewood company left Barlaston Hall to further decay at the mercy of northern English rain and vandals.
However, during the 1980’s saviour came in the form of conservation group SAVE Britain’s Heritage.
Set up to champion the cause of decaying country houses, the group managed to purchase the building and surrounding lands for just £1.
By the time SAVE Britain’s Heritage bought the property for £1 it was close to being demolished.
The group was given grants and government loans to carry out works that would prevent the building from complete dilapidation.
Barlaston Hall as it stands today
Upon completion of these works in 1992, the property was sold to a James & Carol Hall, whom took over the interior restoration of the project, with the design intended to replicate the ideas conceived by Sir Robert Taylor when he first built the property.
Fully restored the hall is now a family home
The finished restoration, with the help of the English Heritage, took five years to complete.
The main stairway fully restored
The current owners recently put the property on the market for £2.3 million.
The dining room of Barlaston Hall
Local estate agent George Dennis, responsible for the sale said: ‘This house is a one-off in that Grade-I listed buildings don’t come on the market very often.” The property is expected to sell fast.
The drawing room in Barlaston Hall as intended by architect Sir Robert Taylor in 1756
Gallery
[For more on the history of Barlaston Hall head here.]
Leave a Reply