Old and New

The Steeple Times

8 years ago

One of the North of England’s most architecturally significant houses is for sale for just £600,000 (but sadly all is not what it initially seems)

“Described by English Heritage as the most architecturally correct building in the North of England” according to its selling agents, Grade II* listed Buckshaw Hall, near Chorley in Lancashire sounds like something buyers ought to be flocking to purchase but it sadly isn’t.

An undated photograph of the building prior to its decline

Built in the 17^th century to an H-plan with two-storey timber framing on a sandstone base, with both brick and wattle and daub infilling and a slate roof, the hall formed part of an estate sold to the Ministry of Supply to establish a munitions factory in 1936. The 928-acre site that was developed became known as the Royal Ordnance Factory Chorley and by the outbreak of the Second World War, over 1,000 people worked there. This rose to 28,000 at its war-time peak and it was here that the Barnes Wallis bombs – most famously used in the Dambusters raid – were filled.

During this period Buckshaw Hall was used as office accommodation and this usage continued until 2005 when the by now privatised operation ceased. Whilst the surrounding land was then redeveloped as a new settlement with a population of 4,000 named Buckshaw Village by Redrow Homes, a planning condition was that the hall be restored.

A sum of £600,000 is reported to have been spent on the fabric of 3,152 square foot Buckshaw Hall to date but in 2012, after being sold on, the building was vandalised. It, and an adjoining 4,000 square foot barn that has been semi-converted, are respectively said to need around £320,000 and £147,000 for their interior fit-outs but sadly however impressively this is done, Buckshaw Hall will forever be surrounded by ugly, boxy housing rather than pretty countryside.

Buckshaw Hall Barn and land with planning permission for four additional homes is included in the £600,000 asking price

A site plan indicates how the architecturally significant hall is now surrounded by new homes that are far from unique

Regan & Hallworth seek offers in excess of £600,000 for Buckshaw Hall, Buckshaw Barn and land that has planning permission for an additional four houses. More is the pity, however, that the hall itself could not just be picked up and moved.

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