Phase 2 Restoration Project 2013-17

Georgian Hall, Jacobean courtyard and South Prospect Garden.

​

In August 2016, Heritage Trust North West announced that the Heritage Lottery Fund has withdrawn it's remaining grant of £1.7million. The restoration of the Hall buildings will be postponed while we meet with funders and partners to review our plans and options for the future.

 

 

Click here for more information about the restoration of the Hall

Click here for more information about the restoration of the South Prospect Garden and Parkland.

 

About the restoration project:

 

Lytham Hall is a Grade I Listed building, and is on the Historic England Heritage At Risk Register. The estate contains many other buildings which are also Listed, including a Dovecote, Gatehouse and Stable yard. The buildings are set within 78 acres of Grade II Registered Historic Parkland.

 

The fine Palladian style house was commissioned by Sir Thomas Clifton in 1752 to replace a previous house on the site, the seat of the Clifton family. The house survives with little alteration today and is regarded as one of the best works of the eminent architect, John Carr of York, who spent ten years completing the design, which incorporated some of the earlier 16th century house, the remains of which are still visible in the Courtyard and West Wings.

 

Lytham Hall and 78 acres of parkland were bought by Lytham Town Trust in 1997, and in 2000 the Trust signed a 99 year lease with Heritage Trust for the North West (HTNW) for the management and development of the site. Unfortunately the acquisition of the Hall did not include an endowment, money to invest which would generate an annual income to support running costs, and Lytham Town Trust continue to manage other assets to help support the financing of the Hall.  HTNW’s first project was the  Phase 1 restoration and conversion of the West Wing into conference, catering and tea room facilities which was opened in 2007 to generate income towards running costs and attract people to use the site.

 

Heritage Trust for the North West commissioned leading conservation architects Purcell UK to prepare a feasibility study into the potential future use of the Hall and the restoration costs in 2008. This was accompanied by proposals for the restoration of the South Prospect Garden prepared by award winning Manchester-based landscape architects Randall Thorp. In 2011 HTNW was awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £2.4 million to undertake Phase 2 of the restoration of the Hall and deliver a programme of participation and learning about the heritage of the site. Match funding is being provided from many sources including Fylde Borough Council, Veolia and Lancashire Environmental Fund, J P Getty Jnr Charitable Trust, and through a long-running Appeal fund which has seen many local people attend and donate at fundraising events, many organised by a dedicated group the Friends of Lytham Hall.

 

The Phase 2 restoration focuses on the Georgian Hall and Jacobean courtyard, as well as the area of parkland known as the South Prospect. Phase 2 will develop a high quality visitor attraction and facilities including better access and permeability, new larger tea room and catering facilities overlooking a restored South Prospect garden. The building is in good structural condition in part due to the efforts in the 1960s by the previous owners Guardian Royal Exchange. However much of the restoration cost is for new heating and electrical services to bring the rooms into usable condition. The restored Hall will be used for a wide range of corporate and private events, as well as permanent and changing exhibitions. The upper floor is intended to be a holiday apartment.

 

A major part of the HLF project is increasing participation and learning. This will be achieved through an extensive programme of volunteering and activities, ranging from hard hat tours during the building works, an annual calendar of events such as fairs, shows and theatre, to regular volunteering maintaining the parkland and as a house tour guide. The aim of the HLF project is to create a viable sustainable future for Lytham Hall which enables it to stand on its own feet and generate sufficient income to cover ongoing maintenance and running costs. Building a legacy of volunteering is a vital part of our current work to train and develop a vibrant team of people who give up their time to make Lytham Hall tick.

 

The HLF project started in 2013 and is due to complete in 2017. The site will be open throughout the project.

 

Phase 3 will involve restoration of the Stable yard and outbuildings, and further improvement of the parkland. Our long term strategy is to ensure that the site fulfils its potential to be a major cultural tourism destination on the Fylde coast, contributing to the wider economy and strategy for the region.