Croxteth Hall lies in the West Derby suburb of Liverpool, on what remains of a centuries-old country estate that once belonged to the Molyneux family, the Earls of Sefton. Around 500 acres of the original grounds survive as Croxteth Park, open to the public and managed by Liverpool City Council following the death of the seventh and last Earl in 1972. The park once functioned as a hunting chase for the Molyneux family and now includes play facilities for children alongside the historic hall itself.
The Hall and Its Architecture
The original house was built around 1575 and has grown through several building phases, incorporating Tudor, Georgian and Queen Anne styles. The principal west facade dates to 1702. A visitor wing was added in 1874, and the estate once had its own bakery and brewery, both demolished during the Victorian era. The hall and several outbuildings hold Grade II* listed status, with a further 15 buildings on the estate listed at Grade II. In 1952 a fire gutted the Queen Anne wing, and in March 2013 a £400,000 restoration programme was announced to repair the damage. Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their children stayed at Croxteth Hall on 9 October 1851, the night before they visited Liverpool, with 700 members of the local gentry entertained in the grounds.
The Walled Garden and Liverpool Botanics
Within the estate, a Victorian walled garden holds what remains of the Liverpool Botanics, one of the oldest horticultural collections in Britain. William Roscoe founded the collection in 1802, and it includes the National Collection of Dracaena (dragon trees), the National Collection of Codiaeum, the National Collection of Solenostemon (coleus), orchids and a substantial collection of bromeliads. Liverpool was once world-famous for its orchids, with the collection composed mainly of wild-collected species rather than the garden hybrids more commonly found elsewhere.
The Molyneux Family and Later History
The Molyneux family occupied Croxteth Hall from the 16th century until 1972. After the seventh Earl died, a worldwide search was made for an heir to the title, but none was found. His American-born widow, Josephine, Countess of Sefton (1903-1980) – a former close friend of the Duchess of Windsor and nicknamed ‘Foxy’ for her auburn hair – continued to visit the hall and became the last of the family to reside there. Much of the original estate was sold off for development following the Earl’s death, but the remaining grounds passed to Liverpool City Council, which opened the park and hall to visitors. In 2017 the council announced it was seeking bids from developers to take on the management of the estate.