Well. it's September again which means one thing only- Heritage Open Days!!
A new addition to this years booklet was Leasowe Castle Hotel. This 1 hour guided tour was a bookable event. Visited with Missy (of the Manor)!
Bit of History- The original Leasowe Castle was built in 1593 by Ferdinando, the 5th Earl of Derby. In the following year he was awarded with the Manor of Wallasey, and in 1594 became the Mayor of Liverpool. The original purpose of the building is not known but it is likely to have been built in connection with sporting activities, possibly as a viewing area for the famous Wallasey races, the forerunners of the Derby race. The original octagonal tower was built with an entrance door five and a half feet above ground level. This would have given security and protection against flooding from the high tides, and also the ground floor would have served as a stable. The walls were built three feet in width, and a later owner, possibly William the 6th Earl of Derby constructed four turrets onto the original tower. T he Stanley family (the Earls of Derby), seem to have given up the building within a century of its construction, and it rapidly deteriorated to a ruin. Once known as The New Hall it soon became known as Mockbeggar Hall, a name commonly given to old ruined manorial halls. A chart of North Wirral, the Grenville Collins Pilot of 1650 shows the castle named as Mockbeggar Hall, and the foreshore as Mockbeggar Wharf, a name still used on today's Ordinance Survey Maps. The castle passed through several families until bought in 1802 by Mrs Boode. Her daughter Mary Anne married Colonel Edward Cust in 1821 and the castle remained in the Cust family until 1895. Edward Cust, the 6th son of Lord Brownlow, tried initially to run the castle as a hotel, unsuccessful he then took up residence in 1843 and made many additions to the building. In 1911 it was bought by the Trustees of the Railway Convalescent Homes, who ran the place until 1970. It was later bought in 1974 by the Wallasey Corporation who did little with it, Wirral Borough Council eventually reselling it in 1980 to Ken Harding who opened it again as a hotel. The first St Bernard dog ever brought in England found a home at Leaoswe Casle.
Great report and photos guys , was a good tour and interesting, the four poster bed frame was VERY shaky , the lad doing the guiding told us it was VERY popular with the NEWLY WEDS , whole lot of shaking going on.... LOL We did ask about ghosts but no real stories to be honest ...MISSY OF THE MANOR INDEED ....LOL
