Firbeck Hall, Firbeck, Rotherham

History

Firbeck Hall was formerly the home of 19th century architect and writer Henry Gally Knight who is assumed to have been a principal information source for Walter Scott during the writing of Ivanhoe. Firbeck Hall was built in 1594 by William West, who made a fortune practising law and serving as an associate to Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury from 1580 to 1594.

In 1935, a Sheffield stockbroker, Cyril Nicholson, opened the hall as a country club, investing £80,000 in its renovation. The interior was dramatically modernised and featured a mirror-walled ballroom and an elaborate and versatile state-of-the-art lighting system. There was also a heated outdoor swimming pool. Membership fees ranged from three to seven guineas, and the club was patronised by the likes of Amy Johnson and the then Prince of Wales. Such was the reputation of the club, that the BBC transmitted its weekly Saturday show "Late Night Dance Music" with Henry Hall, Carroll Gibbons and Charlie Kunz from Firbeck.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, the hall was used by Sheffield Royal Infirmary and the Royal Air Force, with the adjacent aerodrome becoming RAF Firbeck. After the War, the building was bought by the Miners Welfare Commission for use as a rehabilitation centre for injured miners. This centre closed in 1984. It was purchased by Cambridge Construction. From then the Hall fell into a state of disrepair. Jason Cooper of Doncaster purchased Firbeck Hall and its 45 acres (180,000 m2) of grounds on 6 July 2010.

There have been on going plans for the future of Firbeck Hall:

http://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/news/local/plans-for-firbeck-hall-will-be-revealed-soon-1-5307228

Friends of Firbeck Hall is a voluntary group dedicated to the sympathetic restoration of the 16th century building:

http://www.firbeckhall.net/

Source:

http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/mansions-manors-country-houses/81022-firbeck-hall-yorkshire-may-13-a.html

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Esoteric Eric.