Oakmere Hall

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Oakmere Hall
Oakmere Hall (Cheshire)
Oakmere Hall
Shown within Cheshire
Building information
Town Sandiway, Cheshire
Country England
Coordinates 53°13′45″N 2°36′43″W / 53.2292, -2.6120Coordinates: 53°13′45″N 2°36′43″W / 53.2292, -2.6120
Architect John Douglas
Client John & Thomas Johnson
Completion date 1867
Style French Gothic

Oakmere Hall is a large house to the southwest of the village of Sandiway, Cheshire, England near the junction of the A49 and A556 roads (grid reference SJ591704). It is a Grade II listed building.[1] It was originally a private house and later became a rehabilitation centre and hospital. It is now divided into privately owned residential apartments.

[edit] History

The house is dated 1867 and was designed by John Douglas[1] who also designed the two entrance lodges.[2] It had been built for John & Thomas Johnson, merchants and chemical manufacturers of Runcorn.[3] However they lost all their ships in the blockade of Charleston in 1865 and subsequently became bankrupt.[4] The house was bought by John Higson, a Liverpool merchant, who became the house's first resident. He was followed by John Hayes Higson and then by Captain William Higson, the head of Higson's Brewery in Liverpool.[3]

In 1943 the house was bought by the Miners’ Welfare Commission and it became a rehabilitation centre for injured miners. In 1951 it became part of the National Health Service, initially for rehabilitation for people injured in industrial accidents, and later for rehabilitation for all groups of people, including children.[5] It is now privately owned and has been divided into residential apartments.

[edit] Architecture

The house is built in freestone from Lancashire in French Gothic style with roofs of Westmorland slate.[3] It is in two storeys with a nine-bay west front. The entrance is behind a two-storey porte-cochere which has been finished as a gatehouse. This is flanked by octagonal pilasters which end as turrets and on the first floor there is an oriel window. At the right of the west front is a circular projection with a tall conical roof and at the left end is an octagonal turret with a tall pyramidal roof. The east front includes a massive three-storey tower with an embattled parapet and a truncated pyramidal roof with a wrought iron balustrade. The tower has an additional octagonal turret.[1]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c Images of England: Oakmere Hall. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-03-10.
  2. ^ King, Roger. John Douglas. Northwich: Northwich & District Historical Society, 6. 
  3. ^ a b c Bevan, R. M. (2000). Cuddington and Sandiway 2000. Cheshire Country Publishing, 19–21. ISBN 978-0949001160. 
  4. ^ Starkey, H. F. (1990). Old Runcorn. Halton: Halton Borough Council, 154. 
  5. ^ Oakmere Rehabilitation Centre & Hospital. National Health Service. Retrieved on 2008-03-10.