Hall Hawkstone Park

the citadel

sir rowland hill, 4th baronet hill of hawkstone, 2nd viscount hill (1800–1875) inherited, spent , lost large fortune. created 2 new drives, 1 @ vast expense through rock cutting, , considered relocating hall across park. in 1824-5 built dower house known citadel in gothic revival style. extravagance , bad management caused descent mess inherited son in 1875.

rowland clegg-hill, 3rd viscount hill (1833–1895) bankrupt time of death in 1895, forcing sale of contents of hall , split of estate 1906.

the hall purchased george whitely, later baron marchamley of hawkstone, liberal whip. had extensive restoration , reconstruction done wm. tomkinson , sons of liverpool, managed h.p. dallow, included shortening in length , reducing in elevation, wings of house. chapel wing reconstructed games room dance floor, , other wing converted servants accommodation.

the hall , lake became religious retreat in 1920s, while hotel , large part of park later became golf course. during world war ii, parts of park used prisoner of war camp.

hawkstone park largely restored, , once again open public. protected grade historic park, rated english heritage.

dr. johnson visited , wrote of...

prospects, awfulness of shades, horrors of precipices, verdure of hollows , loftiness of rocks ... above inaccessible altitude, below horrible profundity. (1774).

erasmus darwin visited, , notes outcrops of copper-bearing rocks...

@ hawkstone in shropshire, seat of sir richard hill, there elevated rock of siliceous sand coloured green copper in many places high in air. (1783).




^ letters john hill brother, hon richard hill . discovering shropshire s history. retrieved 15 october 2017.