Liverpool Picturebook

Croxteth Park

Croxstath, 1228, 1297; Crocstad, 1257; Croxthat, 1330.

This township, formerly part of Knowsley but independent and extra-parochial from the twelfth century owing to its inclusion in the forest, has an area of 959 acres. The population in 1901 was 61.

Croxteth Hall is the former country estate and ancestral home of the Molyneux family, the Earls of Sefton. After the death of the 7th and last Earl in 1972 the estate passed to Liverpool City Council, which now manages the remainder of the estate, following the sale of approximately half of the grounds. The remaining grounds, Croxteth Park, were at one time a hunting chase of the Molyneux family and are now open to the public.

The original house was built in about 1575, and has been expanded in several stages in Tudor, Georgian, and Queen Anne styles. The principal front, the west façade, was built in 1702. Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their children stayed at Croxteth Hall on 9 October 1851 before visiting Liverpool the following day during torrential rain. However, the visit started fine with 700 members of the local gentry being entertained in the Hall grounds.

The Hall and its outbuilding are a Grade II* Listed Building, as are 3 of the outbuildings; another 15 buildings on the estate are Grade II. The Molyneux family lived at the Hall from the 16th century until 1972, when the last Earl died. His American-born widow Josephine, Countess of Sefton (1903–1980) - once a close friend of the Duchess of Windsor and nicknamed "Foxy" for her abundant auburn hair - continued to spend some time at Croxteth. She became the last member of the Molyneux family to reside in the hall. When the last Earl died in 1972, a worldwide search was made for an heir to the title but without success. Much of the original estate has since been sold off for development, but approximately 500 acres (2 km²) remain as a country park, which is open to the public and includes various play facilities for children. The estate also contains the historic Hall itself, open to the public for a small fee, as well as a maintained Victorian walled garden and a working country farm.

The Magnificent Croxteth Hall

The Liverpool City Council, in whose jurisdiction Croxteth lies, has called for additional investigation into spectral figures which appear to be visible on CCTV security footage of the grounds of Croxteth Hall. Speculation has been raised as to the possible identity of the figure. Spirits are said to haunt Croxteth Hall and various sightings have been recorded; a boy standing by the fireplace in the dining room, a figure of a man in the billiard room, and even the 6th Earl of Sefton walking around the tea room! Smells and footsteps have also been witnessed inside the mansion. In April 2009, CCTV footage of the hall grounds captured a shadowy figure that appears to glide across the screen, take a look at the video and see what you think…