Great Barr Hall

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Great Barr Hall is an 18th century mansion situated at Great Barr, Walsall, very near to Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It is a Grade II* listed building. It is, however, in a very poor state of repair and is on the Buildings at Risk Register.

[edit] History

In the mid-17th century, Richard Scott acquired the house then standing on the site and known as Nether House. In about 1777, Joseph Scott (later Sir Joseph Scott - see Scott Baronets) replaced the old house with a two storeyed nine bayed mansion in the Strawberry Hill Gothic style. The house was much altered and extended about 1840 and in 1863, an adjacent chapel (which was never consecrated) was erected to a design probably of architect George Gilbert Scott, a friend of Sir Francis Scott. Two of the extant lodge houses are believed to be by George Gilbert Scott.

Financial problems led the Scott Family (who gave their name to the nearby Scott Arms pub and shopping centre), to lease out the hall from about 1788 to Samuel Galton, and for some years the Hall became a venue for meetings of the Lunar Society. It is said to be the 'favourite place of meeting' of this illustrious body. Recent stone memorials to the Lunar Society, the "Moonstones", are sited at the nearby Asda supermarket.

In 1791, Sir Francis Scott inherited the manor of Great Barr from his maternal uncle Thomas Hoo and was able to return to live in the house on the expiry of the lease. He died in 1863. His widow Mildred lived on in the Hall until her death in 1909.

In 1911, the estate was purchased by a local hospital board and, in 1918, became St Margaret's Mental Hospital. Many detached hospital buildings were erected around the hall, but the hall itself was abandoned in 1978 and, despite its 1971 Grade II* listing, was left to decay. The hospital was closed some years later and the whole estate abandoned.

Many years passed during which discussions and negotiations for the protection of the hall came to nothing. In 2006, Bovis Homes purchased the 40 hectare estate and obtained planning permission for the redevelopment of the site. As of 2007, Nether Hall Park a new residential housing development, occupying a substantial part of the estate, is in course of completion and work on the stabilisation and protection of the Hall is in progress.