The Hall
The history of this magnificent 18th century country house, set in the middle of Heaton Park's rolling landscape.
There has been a house on the site of the present Heaton Hall since the late seventeenth century, but the building would have been quite old-fashioned by the time Sir Thomas Egerton, the seventh baronet and later first Earl of Wilton, inherited it in 1756.
Significantly, it was not until his marriage to the heiress Eleanor Assheton of Middleton in 1772, that Sir Thomas decided to commission architect James Wyatt to re-model the house. Wyatt had already established a reputation as an innovative architect but Heaton Hall, designed in the fashionable neo-classical style, was his most important country house commission to date.
Sir Thomas derived most of his wealth from the mineral rights on his estates and was able to afford the best craftsmen to fit out his residence. The ornate plasterwork was executed by the firm of Joseph Rose II of York and the fine mahogany doors and much of the furniture came from Gillow of Lancaster. An Italian artist, Biagio Rebecca, was responsible for most of the decorative paintings, including the famous Pompeiian Cupola Room and the case for the chamber organ built by Samuel Green.
In the 1820s, another member of the Wyatt family became involved with the house. Lewis Wyatt was employed by the Second Earl of Wilton to re-model the Library and to add more rooms, the monumental chimney-stacks and the Orangery. During this period, Heaton was the centre of a lively social scene with many famous visitors, including the Duke of Wellington, the actress Fanny Kemble, Disraeli and Tom Thumb. From 1827 to 1839, the famous Heaton Park Races were run on a course on the site of the present lake.
From the second half of the nineteenth century onwards, the family spent less and less time at Heaton. In 1866 and 1896, they tried to sell the estate but were unsuccessful. Then in 1902, as a result of public pressure for more recreational facilities in the north of the city, Manchester Corporation purchased the Park and its buildings for £230,000. Most of the furnishings were removed by the family or sold off. The Hall was considered of little architectural or historical significance and the Saloon was initially used as a tea-room. In 1906, part of the house became a branch of Manchester City Galleries, providing additional space for its growing collections. The Hall is now listed Grade 1, in recognition of its importance as one of the finest neo-classical houses in the country. Over the past fifteen years, the principal rooms have been gradually restored and appropriate furnishings acquired to reflect the styles of the period.
