Lilleshall Hall is a large former

country house An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a town house. This allowed them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these peop ...

and estate in the fields of Lilleshall,

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. It is run by

Serco Serco Group plc is a British company with headquarters based in Hook, Hampshire, England. Serco primarily derives income as a contractor for the provision of government services, most prominently in the sectors of health, transport, justice, ...

Leisure Operating Ltd on behalf of

Sport England Sport England is a non-departmental public body under the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Its role is to build the foundations of a community sport system by working with national governing bodies of sport, and other funded p ...

as one of three

National Sports Centres There are three National Sports Centres as part of Sport England's strategy to create elite English world class sporting talent: * Bisham Abbey * Lilleshall * Plas y Brenin Each centre provides elite athletes with a range of specialist fac ...

, alongside

Bisham Abbey Bisham Abbey is a Grade I listed manor house at Bisham in the English county of Berkshire. The name is taken from the now lost monastery which once stood alongside. This original Bisham Abbey was previously named Bisham Priory, and was the trad ...

and

Plas y Brenin Plas y Brenin, located in Conwy County Borough, Wales, is a National Outdoor Centre owned by Sport England. The centre is situated in Dyffryn Mymbyr, the Mymbyr Valley, in Snowdonia and is less than a quarter of a mile south-west of the centre of ...

. It lies between

Telford Telford () is a town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, about east of Shrewsbury, south west of Stafford, north west of Wolverhampton and from Birmingham in t ...

and Newport.

History

Early history

The core of the Lilleshall estate, which amounts to , was originally the

demesne A demesne ( ) or domain was all the land retained and managed by a lord of the manor under the feudal system for his own use, occupation, or support. This distinguished it from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants. The concept or ...

of Lilleshall Abbey, an Augustinian foundation of the 12th century. The ruins of the original Lilleshall Abbey are protected today by

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...

. The estate was granted after the Dissolution of the Monasteries to James Leveson, a Wolverhampton wool merchant, in 1539. His family, including

Walter Leveson Sir Walter Leveson (155020 October 1602)Vice-Admiral Richard Leveson, the last of his direct line, lived in a lodge in the grounds, although they were only occasionally resident in Lilleshall, as they had many other houses. The estates passed to Richard Leveson, a distant cousin who was a prominent

Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gov ...

in the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I (" Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of r ...

and fortified the Abbey, inviting a severe bombardment. As he too failed to produce heirs, Lilleshall then passed to

Sir William Leveson-Gower, 4th Baronet Sir William Leveson-Gower, 4th Baronet (c. 1647 – 22 December 1691) was an English politician from the Leveson-Gower family. Born William Gower, he was the second son of Sir Thomas Gower, 2nd Baronet and Frances, daughter and coheir of John Le ...

, founder of an illustrious political dynasty, who married Lady Jane Granville, daughter of the

Earl of Bath Earl of Bath was a title that was created five times in British history, three times in the Peerage of England, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It is now extinct. Earls of Bath; First cre ...

. The first of the family to be ennobled, in 1703, was

John Leveson-Gower, 1st Baron Gower John Leveson-Gower, 1st Baron Gower PC (7 January 1675 – 31 August 1709) was a member of the Leveson-Gower family. He was the son of Sir William Leveson-Gower, 4th Baronet and his wife Jane Granville.John Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower John Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower, PC (10 August 1694 – 25 December 1754), was an English Tory politician and peer who twice served as Lord Privy Seal from 1742 to 1743 and 1744 to 1754. Leveson-Gower is best known for his political caree ...

, and

Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford, KG PC (4 August 172126 October 1803), known as Viscount Trentham from 1746 to 1754 and as The Earl Gower from 1754 to 1786, was a British politician from the Leveson-Gower family. Background ...

, progressed further up the ranks of the English peerage and it was probably the latter who converted a 17th-century house, in the village of Lilleshall itself, into a country residence in the late 1750s. The lodge lingered on, in a deteriorating state, until 1818, when it was demolished. George Granville Leveson-Gower after his marriage in 1785, considered even the mid-18th century Hall too small but it was not until the 1820s that his wife, in her own right Countess of Sutherland, instructed the architect

Jeffry Wyatville Sir Jeffry Wyatville (3 August 1766 – 18 February 1840) was an English architect and garden designer. Born Jeffry Wyatt into an established dynasty of architects, in 1824 he was allowed by King George IV to change his surname to Wyatvill ...

and local builders to commence work on the present Hall. It was constructed beyond the eastern end of the original estate, in the parish of Sheriffhales, although still called Lilleshall Hall. It was completed in 1829, three years before the newly elevated

Duke of Sutherland Duke of Sutherland is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom which was created by William IV in 1833 for George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Marquess of Stafford. A series of marriages to heiresses by members of the Leveson-Gower family made th ...

's death. The Hall was scheduled in 1984 as a

Grade II* listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Ir ...

. The former Lilleshall Hall, in the village, was at first retained by the family, probably as a dower house, before being sold in 1930. The approach to the estate from the main Wolverhampton to Chester Road is through the "Golden Gates", an exact replica of those adorning

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

. The gardens include many bridges, the original canal, an ornamental garden, a Grecian temple, ponds and the Apple Walk (about half its original pergola length). The high

obelisk An obelisk (; from grc, ὀβελίσκος ; diminutive of ''obelos'', " spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally constructed by An ...

was built in 1833 in memory of the 1st Duke of Sutherland and designed by G.E. Hamilton.

Herbert Ford

In 1914, a year after the 5th Duke succeeded to the seat at the age of 25, he decided on the outbreak of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

that it was unwise to have so much of his riches tied up in land and property. He sold the entire estate except the Hall and of gardens, with less than being purchased by Wrekin College. He then decided he wanted to live closer to London and sold the remainder of the estate in 1917 to Sir John Leigh. Herbert Ford (1893-1963) was a wealthy local man, added to by his marriage to Marjorie Perrins, daughter of Walter Perrins of Birmingham. In 1927 he bought the estate. From 1930 until 1939, the Hall had pleasure gardens open for the public, including an amusement park, a narrow gauge railway, tea dances, and children's playgrounds. He added an additional nine holes on the existing nine-hole golf course, designed by the noted golf course architect, Harry Colt, which later became the Lilleshall Hall Golf Club. However, it was not played on for 20 years owing to a rent dispute with farmers that resulted in cattle on the course. He even increased attendance by advertising that the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

airship An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...

Hindenburg would fly over the estate even when its route was nowhere near; he explained that the lack of an airship was due to bad weather in a self-sent telegram.

Second World War

At the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

the pleasure gardens closed, an air raid bunker was built and wooden classrooms erected. This accommodated both

Cheltenham Ladies' College Cheltenham Ladies' College is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. Consistently ranked as one of the top all-girls' schools nationally, the school was established in 1853 to p ...

and later

Dr Barnardo's Barnardo's is a British charity founded by Thomas John Barnardo in 1866, to care for vulnerable children. As of 2013, it raised and spent around £200 million each year running around 900 local services, aimed at helping these same group ...

charity, who used the facilities as an orphanage. The land and gardens were intensively farmed throughout this period.

After World War II

Many estates were left in ruin after World War II and Lilleshall was no exception. Repairing them to pre-World War II state was expensive and the social revolution that had occurred meant they were very much more expensive to run. Mr Ford struggled on but in 1949, the

Central Council of Physical Recreation Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

were seeking a second National Recreation Centre to serve the North of England to complement

in the South. In 1949, a sale was agreed for £30,000 for the Hall and , made possible by a financial gift from the people of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

Clement Attlee Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, (3 January 18838 October 1967) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955. He was Deputy Prime Mini ...

's government. Mr Ford then gave another on condition he and his family could stay in residence for at least another ten years or until his death. The sports centre was opened in 1951 by

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

(then the Princess Elizabeth). Jim Lane, a member of the

Marylebone Cricket Club Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a cricket club founded in 1787 and based since 1814 at Lord's Cricket Ground, which it owns, in St John's Wood, London. The club was formerly the governing body of cricket retaining considerable global influe ...

became the first warden. He started a number of cricketing courses and the first Conference of cricket coaches was held there in December 1951. Annual summer schools were held from July until September for the governing bodies of many major sports, including cricket, archery, athletics, fencing, judo, weightlifting, basketball, soccer, netball, and tennis. In 1974 the centre was handed to the Sports Council by the Central Council of Physical Recreation.

Sports centre

Following the success of the summer schools, sports' governing bodies came to look upon Lilleshall as their own national and regional coaching or squad training centre. In twenty-one years as a National Recreation Centre, the English governing bodies of cricket, Rugby League and Rugby Union, lawn tennis, badminton, hockey, lacrosse, netball, the Professional Golfing Association and Association Football selected Lilleshall for its facilities and convenience for players meeting up from around the country to train: * The field purchased in 1949 was extended by a further and developed as a playing field.

Prince Philip Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...

opened the Pavilion built with a grant from the South African charitable trust in November 1954 * Originally a gymnasium, movement and dance studio, King George VI Sports Hall was a square multi-purpose hall. Funded by a grant of £56,000 from the King George VI memorial foundation, it opened on 31 October 1955 * During the 1950s and early 1960s, a new hall of residence was built. It was refurbished in the 1990s to provide ensuite accommodation * The 1966 England team trained for two weeks prior to their success in World Cup of 1966. Sir

Alf Ramsey Sir Alfred Ernest Ramsey (22 January 1920 – 28 April 1999) was an English football player and manager. As a player, he represented the England national team and captained the side, but he is best known for his time as England manager f ...

returned in 1967 * Funded by B.A.G.A, a pitted area for gymnastics was added in 1979 * The Sutherland Hall, with the opening of the National Centre at

Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...

becoming the principal athletics facility, was converted in 1983 for cricket, archery and indoor bowls * In 1985 the King George Hall and the pitted area became the permanent home for British gymnastics * In 1986

the Football Association The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world a ...

took over the gymnasium for use as the International Sports Medicine Institute and Rehabilitation Centre * Wenlock Hall was opened in 1986, a multi-purpose sports facility, incorporating the William Morgan Development Centre for International Volleyball. The Hall was named after the town of

Much Wenlock Much Wenlock is a market town and parish in Shropshire, England, situated on the A458 road between Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth. Nearby, to the northeast, is the Ironbridge Gorge, and the new town of Telford. The civil parish includes the villa ...

, where it is believed the idea of the modern day

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a multi ...

was conceived and where the Wenlock Games are still held annually to this day * The UK's first Human Performance Centre opened in 1988 * Ford Hall, originally a stable block and then converted by Henry Hall into a

ballroom A ballroom or ballhall is a large room inside a building, the primary purpose of which is holding large formal parties called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions and palaces, especially historic ...

, is now used for table tennis and martial arts The centre also possesses: * floodlit playing field * Six-lane flat green bowling green * Two floodlit water-based artificial grass pitches, one is a hockey pitch with the Olympic surface used in Beijing and London 2012, the other a multi-sports pitch. * A state of the art outdoor archery range * Five squash courts (two glass backed)

The Football Association

The Football Association's School of Excellence was established at Lilleshall in 1984 and closed in the summer of 1999. During the mid-1980s to mid-1990s the England Team often trained at the centre, however, today most Premiership football clubs have now established their own centres of excellence based on the Lilleshall model. The school came in for some criticism due to its centralist and perceived anti-club agenda but its star pupils included future England internationals

Jermain Defoe Jermain Colin Defoe (born 7 October 1982) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. He also played for the England national team. Defoe began his career with Charlton Athletic, joining their youth team aged 14, be ...

Michael Ball Michael Ashley Ball (born 27 June 1962) is an English singer, presenter and actor. He made his West End debut in 1985 playing Marius Pontmercy in the original London production of ''Les Misérables'', and went on to star in 1987 as Raoul in ...

Michael Owen Michael James Owen (born 14 December 1979) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City, as well as for the England national team. Since r ...

Joe Cole Joseph John Cole (born 8 November 1981) is an English football coach and former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or winger in the Premier League, Ligue 1, League One and United Soccer League. He is regarded as on ...

, Scott Parker,

Sol Campbell Sulzeer Jeremiah Campbell (born 18 September 1974) is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of club Southend United. He previously managed Macclesfield Town from November 2018 to August ...

Jamie Carragher James Lee Duncan Carragher (; born 28 January 1978) is an English football pundit and former footballer who played as a defender for Premier League club Liverpool during a career which spanned 17 years. A one-club man, he was Liverpool's v ...

, Wes Brown,

Nick Barmby Nicholas Jon Barmby (born 11 February 1974) is an English football coach and former professional player. As a player, he played as a midfielder spending nearly his entire career in the Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough, Everto ...

, Leon Osman,

Andrew Cole Andrew Alexander Cole (born 15 October 1971) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. His professional career lasted from 1988 to 2008, and is mostly remembered for his time with Manchester United, who paid a Briti ...

and Ian Walker.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Lilleshall Hall website

Lilleshall Hall Golf Club website

Lilleshall Hall Bowls Club

Detailed historical record of Lilleshall Abbey

Lilleshall Discovery Trail - A 2.5 mile (4km) circular walk around the beautiful gardens and grounds of Lilleshall National Sports and Conferencing Centre
Sports venues in Shropshire Country houses in Shropshire Sport in England Football academies in England Grade II* listed buildings in Shropshire ! Sports academies Jeffry Wyatville buildings Gymnastics in the United Kingdom