Marle Hall

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.

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 who have operated it as an outdoors 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 became a popular venue for educational trips from the 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 emphasising the important role they felt outdoors learning can 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]

References
  1. "Williams family, of Marl, near Conway, Dictionary of Welsh Biography". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales.
  2. "Marl Hall (16510)". Coflein. RCAHMW. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  3. "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. "7,000-strong petition calling on Warwickshire council not to shut Marle Hall is submitted". www.rugbyadvertiser.co.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  9. "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". CoventryLive. Retrieved 22 August 2021.

53°17′32″N 3°48′14″W

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