Lytham Hall
The Brief
Assessing the condition of the hall and its estate buildings, then setting out a programme of repair and alteration.
John Coward Architects was appointed in 2022 by the Heritage Trust for the North West to carry out a major appraisal of Lytham Hall and the other historic buildings on the site, including the gatehouse, dovecote, farm buildings, gardener’s cottage and Victorian garden wall.
Lytham Hall is Grade I listed and has a very layered history. The site dates back to a 12th-century Benedictine priory. A Jacobean manor house was built there in 1606 for Sir Cuthbert Clifton, before John Carr of York was commissioned in 1752 to create the Palladian house seen today. Much of the earlier Jacobean building was retained and remains incorporated within the hall.
Our work began with a detailed assessment of the condition of roofs, floors, walls, ceilings, windows and rainwater goods. From that, we prepared repair schedules and strategies for the Trust and its in-house maintenance team.
Key features
- Major condition appraisal of the Grade I listed hall
- Assessment of the gatehouse, dovecote, farm buildings, gardener’s cottage and Victorian garden wall
- Repair schedules and strategies for the Heritage Trust for the North West
- Refurbishment of the main gatehouse for holiday accommodation
- Conversion of the gardener’s cottage for accommodation
- Designs and permissions in place for conversion of the wood store into a shop
- Ongoing conservation work across a complex historic site
A layered history to understand
Lytham Hall has many layers to reveal. Successive building phases survive alongside one another, from the earlier manor house through to John Carr’s Palladian work, so understanding what is there and how the different parts relate is key to looking after the site.
Alongside the condition appraisal, John Coward Architects has helped bring smaller estate buildings back into use. The main gatehouse has been fully refurbished and now provides holiday accommodation.
We also designed the conversion of the gardener’s cottage, a small building incorporated into the Victorian garden wall. The work included repairs to the external fabric, along with the intervention needed to introduce modern living arrangements. The completed cottage now provides accommodation and a source of income for the Trust, which can be put back into the upkeep of the main hall.
Designs have also been prepared for converting the former wood store into a shop. The work has not yet been carried out, but the design and permissions are in place.
Lytham Hall is open as a visitor attraction, with a café, garden centre, antique shop and main shop. It is a very fine building with a complex history, and we are proud to be part of the team helping the Heritage Trust for the North West look after it.
Client feedback
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Heritage Trust North West has had a long standing relationship with John Coward Architects for many years across a number of our sites. Their professional, prompt services combined with experience and expertise has helped ensure that our listed buildings, such as Grade I Lytham Hall, continue to evolve and thrive, whilst staying true to what makes them nationally significant.
Michael Guy
Chief Executive