Marle Hall

Last updated

Marle Hall (also Marl Hall) is a Grade II listed Georgian building in Conwy County Borough, North Wales, situated close to Llandudno Junction and Snowdonia National Park. Built by Sir Hugh Williams, 5th Baronet, Marle Hall later became a convalescent home, and in 1971 was bought by Warwickshire County Council, who used it as an educational outward-bound centre that schools in the county could hire. Warwickshire County Council sold the property in March 2022, citing the high maintenance cost, its under use, and the large amount of work required to modernise the building.

Contents

History

The first Marle Hall was built by Sir Hugh Williams, 5th Baronet (1628–1686), of the Williams baronets of Penrhyn. [1] It was a Jacobean mansion (c. 1661), then substantially expanded in the early 18th century in the Georgian style. [2] [3] It passed by marriage out of the Williams family to Terence Prendergast (died 1776). [1]

A fire in the 18th century reduced the Hall to one wing, with the other parts left roofless. [2] [3] On the basis of a suggestion of 1875 by John Price (1803–1887) ("Old Price"), the Hall has been considered to have been a source for the poem "The Haunted House" by Thomas Hood. [4]

The Marle estate was subsequently bought by Thomas Williams of Llanidan. [1] Owen Williams, his great-grandson, sold it off in 1889, and Marle Hall went to Corbet Woodall. [5] [6]

By 1898, Marle Hall was used as a convalescent home, and it underwent restoration at the turn of the century. [2] [7] Since 1971, the property has been owned by Warwickshire County Council, which has operated it as an outdoor learning centre providing residential trips and courses for schoolchildren in Warwickshire. Activities on offer at the facility include canoeing, rock climbing and hiking, and it has become a popular venue for educational trips from Warwickshire, as well as other areas. The building received its listed status in 1950. [8] [9] [10]

Pandemic times

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the facility to temporarily close. In December 2020, Warwickshire County Council's Cabinet proposed that its Marle Hall Centre for Outdoor Learning be closed permanently in 2021. In January 2021, a 7,000-signature petition to keep the facility open was presented to Warwickshire County Council, with many signatories emphasizing the important role they felt outdoor learning could have for children. [8] In August 2021, the council voted to sell the property, citing its high maintenance cost and under-use in recent years, as well as the large amount of work that would be required to renovate and modernise it, estimated to be around £850,000 over ten years. Warwickshire County Council scheduled the facility's closure date for 22 October 2021, with schools that had booked places at the venue after that being offered help to make alternative arrangements. [8] [9] [11] [12]

The property was put up for sale in February 2022 with a guide price of £400,000, [13] and was sold at auction the following month for £890,000. [14] It was bought by Marl Hall Holdings, a company that offered it to the Home Office as a potential site to house asylum seekers. [15] The offer was declined in early 2023, and following objection from local residents, as well as Robin Millar and Janet Finch-Saunders, the area's representatives in the House of Commons and the Senedd respectively. [16] Craig Lambie, director of Marl Hall Holdings, expressed his disappointment, feeling that it would have brought economic benefit to the area. [15]

In 2022, and following its sale of Marle Hall, Warwickshire County Council subsequently advertised two three-day Break Away Camps in conjunction with the Outward Bound Trust for 200 people aged 16 to 24 who were "unemployed or economically inactive". The courses, to be held at the Outward Bound Trust centre at Aberdovey, attracted criticism from a group which had previously campaigned to keep Marle Hall open, and who described it as "a farce. You're now using an outdoor centre for young people in Wales after you sold your own". Warwickshire County Council said that funding for the project had been made available from central government through Community Renewal Funding, and again cited the maintenance cost as the reason for the venue's closure. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwynedd</span> County and preserved county in Wales

Gwynedd is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The city of Bangor is the largest settlement, and the administrative centre is Caernarfon. The preserved county of Gwynedd, which is used for ceremonial purposes, includes the Isle of Anglesey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conwy Castle</span> Grade I listed building in Conwy, Wales

Conwy Castle is a fortification in Conwy, located in North Wales. It was built by Edward I, during his conquest of Wales, between 1283 and 1287. Constructed as part of a wider project to create the walled town of Conwy, the combined defences cost around £15,000, a massive sum for the period. Over the next few centuries, the castle played an important part in several wars. It withstood the siege of Madog ap Llywelyn in the winter of 1294–95, acted as a temporary haven for Richard II in 1399 and was held for several months by forces loyal to Owain Glyndŵr in 1401.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torfaen</span> County borough in Wales

Torfaen is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. Torfaen is bordered by the county of Monmouthshire to the east, the city of Newport to the south, and the county boroughs of Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent to the south-west and north-west. It is within the boundaries of the historic county of Monmouthshire, and between 1974 and 1996 was a district of Gwent, until it was reconstituted as a principal area in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llandudno</span> Seaside town and community in Wales

Llandudno is a seaside resort, town and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located on the Creuddyn peninsula, which protrudes into the Irish Sea. In the 2021 UK census, the community – which includes Gogarth, Penrhyn Bay, Craigside, Glanwydden, Penrhynside, and Bryn Pydew – had a population of 19,700. The town's name means "Church of Saint Tudno".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conwy County Borough</span> County borough in Wales

Conwy County Borough is a county borough in the north of Wales. It borders Gwynedd to the west and south and Denbighshire to the east. The largest settlement is Colwyn Bay, and Conwy is the administrative centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betws-y-Coed</span> Village and community in Conwy, Wales

Betws-y-Coed is a village and community in the Conwy valley in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located in the historic county of Caernarfonshire, right on the boundary with Denbighshire, in the Gwydir Forest. It is now a very popular visitor destination in the Snowdonia National Park. The population of the community as of the 2021 census was 476, a decline on the previous census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llanrwst</span> Welsh market town

Llanrwst is a market town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy, in Conwy County Borough, Wales, and the historic county of Denbighshire. It developed around the wool trade and became known also for the making of harps and clocks. Today, less than one mile from the edge of Snowdonia, its main pursuit is tourism. Notable buildings include almshouses, two 17th-century chapels, and the Parish Church of St Grwst, which holds the stone coffin of Llywelyn the Great. The 2011 census gave it a population of 3,323.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conwy</span> Walled market town in Wales

Conwy, previously known in English as Conway, is a walled market town, community and the administrative centre of Conwy County Borough in North Wales. The walled town and castle stand on the west bank of the River Conwy, facing Deganwy on the east bank. The town formerly lay in Gwynedd and prior to that in Caernarfonshire. The community, which also includes Deganwy and Llandudno Junction, had a population of 14,753 at the 2011 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aberconwy (UK Parliament constituency)</span> UK Parliamentary constituency, 2010–2024

Aberconwy was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conwy County Borough Council</span> Local government authority in central north Wales

Conwy County Borough Council is the local authority for Conwy County Borough, one of the principal areas of Wales.

Gareth Jones OBE is a Welsh politician. He was a member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Conwy from 1999 until 2003 when he lost by 72 votes. He sought a successful re-election to the newly created Aberconwy constituency in 2007 before retiring in 2011. He was also Leader of Conwy County Borough Council, from 2017 to 2019, and a Llandudno town councillor representing the Craig-y-Don ward. He was formerly a member of Plaid Cymru, but left in 2017 after attempting to form a council administration in Conwy containing Welsh Conservatives, which the national party would not allow. He ran an independent administration of the council until 2019, when the Conservatives took control of the council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinmel Hall</span> Mansion in Conwy County Borough, Wales

Kinmel Hall is a large country mansion within Kinmel Park near the village of St. George, close to the coastal town of Abergele, in Conwy county borough, Wales. The hall, the third building on the site, was completed in the mid 19th century for the family of a Welsh mining magnate. In 1929, the property ceased being a private residence; it has since been used as a boys' school, health spa, girls' school, wartime hospital, conference centre and hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eirias Park</span> Park in Colwyn Bay, Wales

Eirias Park is a 50-acre (20 ha) public park in Colwyn Bay, Conwy County Borough, Wales, was once described as "The park by the sea". The park has a sports complex, including the Eirias Stadium and Colwyn Leisure Centre.

Sir Hugh John Ellis-Nanney, 1st Baronet, was a Welsh landowner, magistrate and political candidate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aberglaslyn Hall</span>

Aberglaslyn Hall is an outdoor learning centre near Beddgelert, North Wales on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park. The hall was purchased by Leicestershire County Council in 1962. It offers dormitory style accommodation for up to 48 people and serves as a residential centre for groups wishing to participate in outdoor activities and environmental education.

Adventure Parc Snowdonia, formerly Surf Snowdonia was an adventure park and tourist attraction, incorporating an artificial wave pool, at Dolgarrog in the Conwy valley, north Wales, owned by Conwy Adventure Leisure Ltd. It was the world's first commercial artificial surfing lake. The site cost a total of £12 million and opened in August 2015. The park closed in September 2023 following mechanical failures in 2022, which led to the waves being turned off, and searches for financial investment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nannau, Wales</span> Grade II* listed building in Gwynedd, Wales

Nannau is a Georgian mansion and estate near the village of Llanfachreth, Gwynedd, North Wales, UK. The mansion was initially inhabited by the Welsh Nanney (Nannau) family, who were direct descendants of the Kings of Powys. For over 900 years, the Nannau estate was in possession of the same family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gele (electoral ward)</span>

Gele is the name of one of the electoral wards in the town and community of Abergele, Conwy County Borough, Wales. It covers the southern part of the town and a more rural area to the southeast including the settlement of St George. It takes its name from the River Gele which runs through the western part of the ward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Rowlands</span> Welsh politician

Sam Rowlands is a Welsh Conservative politician serving as Member of the Senedd (MS) for the North Wales electoral region since 2021, and Shadow Minister for Health since April 2024. He also formerly served as Leader of Conwy County Borough Council from 2019 to 2021.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Williams family, of Marl, near Conway, Dictionary of Welsh Biography". Dictionary of Welsh Biography . National Library of Wales.
  2. 1 2 3 "Marl Hall (16510)". Coflein. RCAHMW . Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Marl Hall including terrace at front, Conwy, Conwy". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk.
  4. ↑ Underwood, Peter (15 February 2010). Haunted Wales. Amberley Publishing Limited. p. 92. ISBN   978-1-4456-1052-8.
  5. ↑ "n/a". Oswestry Advertiser. 18 September 1889. p. 3.
  6. ↑ Bye-gones. Vol. I (2nd ser.). 1890. p. 228.
  7. ↑ The Spectator. F.C. Westley. 1898. p. 47.
  8. 1 2 3 "7,000-strong petition calling on Warwickshire council not to shut Marle Hall is submitted". www.rugbyadvertiser.co.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  9. 1 2 "Marle Hall outdoor centre closure 'heartbreaking'". 4 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021– via www.bbc.co.uk.
  10. ↑ "Marl Hall including terrace at front, Conwy, Conwy". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  11. ↑ "Marle Hall Update". Warwickshire County Council. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  12. ↑ Suart, Paul (4 August 2021). "Fury over plan to close popular outdoor learning centre Marle Hall". Coventry Live. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  13. 1 2 Suart, Paul (4 April 2022). "Council defends leisure facility closure amid stinging criticism". Coventry Live. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  14. ↑ Green, Alex (14 March 2022). "Marle Hall sells at auction for twice its oddly-cheap guide price after decades of helping Warwickshire's children". Warwickshire World. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  15. 1 2 Hughes, Owen (4 April 2023). "Mansion owner 'disappointed' over asylum seeker U-turn". North Wales Live. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  16. ↑ "Asylum seekers no longer to be housed at north Wales mansion after decision reversed by Home Office". ITV News. ITV. 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.

53°17′32″N3°48′14″W / 53.29221°N 3.8039°W / 53.29221; -3.8039

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.