Speke Hall in Liverpool

A brief history of Speke Hall

Sir William Norris, a devout Catholic, built Speke Hall. He held various public offices including Member of Parliament, High Sheriff of Lancashire, Mayor of Liverpool and Justice of the Peace for Cheshire. In 1795, a Liverpool merchant called Richard Watt bought Speke Hall out of the profits he’d made as a slave trader and plantation owner in Jamaica. He died a year later.

The house wasn’t well looked after by later tenants and suffered from neglect. In fact, at one point they used it as a cowshed. In the 1850s, in a reversal of fortune, its interiors were lavishly redecorated in the Gothic Revival style. But it wouldn’t last. The final family member to inherit the property died a spinster.

Part of the Speke Hall estate was sold to the Liverpool Corporation, who used the land to build the city’s airport. In the 1980s, it underwent a thorough restoration and became the property of the National Trust.

What are the highlights and features of Speke Hall?

During the years of the Reformation, Catholics in England were persecuted and this is evident in some of the house’s architectural features. Like many properties of this era that were owned by Catholics, Speke Hall has a priest hole. These were hiding spaces that were designed to be large enough to conceal a man of the cloth. Today, a ladder propped against a hatch in a bedroom ceiling is a giveaway that Speke Hall’s priest hole was in the attic.

The Norris family home also bears an observation hole in a bedroom chimney so occupants could be warned of anyone approaching the property. Under the eaves by the front door, there’s a feature called an eavesdropper – a small hole that enabled the servants to listen to visitors’ conversations to determine whether they were friend or foe.

Several other interesting features delight daytrippers at Speke Hall. The oldest is found in an unlikely place. Eagle-eyed visitors will spot a fossil of a belemnite, an ancient ancestor of today’s squid and cuttlefish. This dates from around 350 to 365 million years ago and can be seen in the stone of the Great Hall floor.

Outside too, the old appears alongside the new. The gardens were only laid out in the 1850s but they contain 2 ancient yew trees that are at least 500 years old.

The Oak Parlour is also a highlight. Above the fireplace, visitors can admire a beautiful overmantel. Made from solid wood in about 1567, craftsmen carved the figures of 3 generations of the Norris family into the piece. The room also boasts a magnificent plaster ceiling. Fifteen panels, each with different embellishments, were installed in 1612. Look out for a hidden bird and snake among the roses, irises, hops and honeysuckles of this Jacobean masterpiece.

Good to know about Speke Hall

The café at Speke Hall serves a number of traditional dishes amid the usual fare. Scouse – or labskause to the sailors who once ate it – is a hearty meat stew cooked with potatoes, carrots and onions. Pan Haggerty is another classic winter warmer, made with potatoes, onion and cheese. 

Afterwards, indulge your sweet tooth with a piece of Wet Nelly. It’s a moister version of a Lancashire fruit cake called Nelson Cake, hence its name. Liverpool Tart is also on the menu – a pastry tart with a lemon and sugar filling that’s been a local favourite for over a century.