Covent of Notre Dame
Visited with @huyt.urb
Lancaster House which is the original name of the building previously home to the Sisters of Notre Dame was built in 1845. Between 1929 and 1947 the former home of Hugh Ainscough and his family was rented to the Sisters of Notre Dame, of Everton Valley, Liverpool, who used it for short term and summer holidays. Records state that the first Mass to be offered there was on March 6, 1930, but to be strictly accurate Fr. Brown, with special permission from the Holy See, had offered it several times there during Hugh Ainscough’s illness. With the bombing of Liverpool during the Second World War the entire Everton Valley community evacuated to Parbold, May 3, 1941, and remained until 1945 although some remained in retirement. The property was purchased by the congregation of Notre Dame on October 13, 1947, and since 1965 has been used for aged and invalided sisters, and as a Pastoral Centre. It currently holds the Offices of the Provincialate Team for the Notre Dame Sisters.
The Sisters of Notre Dame want to sell the property to a developer, after securing outline consent for a 70-unit care village at the site. The order substantially extended the property in the mid-1980s to provide a nursing wing. The order has three convents in total, but dwindling numbers mean it is looking to consolidate its assets and sell Lancaster House. Property consultancy CBRE has been appointed to market the 6.5-acre development opportunity after planning consent was secured more than two years ago. Under the outline plans, the main Lancaster House building would be converted into six apartments while the neighbouring coach house would contain nine apartments. The 1980s additions to the property would be demolished and a new apartment block, comprising 56 one- and two-bedroom flats, would be built in their place. The outline planning consent provides for up to 70 units. The development will also contain several communal facilities including a dining room and bistro, lounge, hairdressing salon, treatment room, rehabilitation gym and overnight guest accommodation.
Having driven past this area multiple times, I failed to notice the convent becoming disused. After finding @Morrisey ‘s lead in NP a few weeks after it was posted it made sense to make the 20-minute drive over and scout it out. I was in normal attire and had no camera bag with me and made my way on site in hopes of finding an entrance and returning. A couple of cars were parked up and there was an open door to the smaller building next to Lancaster House. I took the easy access opportunity and had a look around and was disappointed as to what was inside. The tower of this front building was the only interesting looking feature from the outside. I didn’t get close to finding a way up as what I didn’t know is that security was posted inside this building and found myself opening the door into his office moments later. He was a relaxed guy who walked me out and said have a walk around outside if you wish, so I did. I wandered over to Lancaster House out of his sight and found an entry. Another internal recce proved it was definitely worth shooting so I called up Alex and went to pick up my camera and returned the same day. This time we steered well away from the tower block just so we weren’t spotted and removed from inside the main building.
To start with, the bland tower building. We explored this last due to security being so close. We tried various other entry options to the tower but again failed.
Inside the top floor looking into the courtyard and the narrow corridors that led to small empty bedrooms, none of which were worth shooting.
Prior in the afternoon we had just used the entry I found earlier to get inside Lancaster House. The entire site was relatively stripped but well-kept with minimal decay and beautiful architecture in the oldest, front section of the house.
Externals:
The more modern block shown above in the last two images was the addition that was used as a nursing wing.
Now to the main POI’s; the entrance and surrounding rooms. All were bland and their previous uses mostly unknown.
We had a suspicion this was used as a dining room as the kitchen backed onto this area.
Kitchen.
The staircase led off the lobby and presented another lovely stained-glass installation and the architecture continued above.
The rooms connected to the following hallway seemed as if they were used as rooms for people living here separate to the nursing wing.
Further down the hallway, more stained glass could be found acting as a skylight.
From this point, we progressed into the nursing wing.
The rooms in here followed suit and remained mostly empty. Some of the bathrooms still had baths and their enabling equipment that still operated.
Nearby we found the chapel and an organ in situ. The organ still worked so we spent a bit of time playing around with it.
To be continued…
Visited with @huyt.urb
Lancaster House which is the original name of the building previously home to the Sisters of Notre Dame was built in 1845. Between 1929 and 1947 the former home of Hugh Ainscough and his family was rented to the Sisters of Notre Dame, of Everton Valley, Liverpool, who used it for short term and summer holidays. Records state that the first Mass to be offered there was on March 6, 1930, but to be strictly accurate Fr. Brown, with special permission from the Holy See, had offered it several times there during Hugh Ainscough’s illness. With the bombing of Liverpool during the Second World War the entire Everton Valley community evacuated to Parbold, May 3, 1941, and remained until 1945 although some remained in retirement. The property was purchased by the congregation of Notre Dame on October 13, 1947, and since 1965 has been used for aged and invalided sisters, and as a Pastoral Centre. It currently holds the Offices of the Provincialate Team for the Notre Dame Sisters.
The Sisters of Notre Dame want to sell the property to a developer, after securing outline consent for a 70-unit care village at the site. The order substantially extended the property in the mid-1980s to provide a nursing wing. The order has three convents in total, but dwindling numbers mean it is looking to consolidate its assets and sell Lancaster House. Property consultancy CBRE has been appointed to market the 6.5-acre development opportunity after planning consent was secured more than two years ago. Under the outline plans, the main Lancaster House building would be converted into six apartments while the neighbouring coach house would contain nine apartments. The 1980s additions to the property would be demolished and a new apartment block, comprising 56 one- and two-bedroom flats, would be built in their place. The outline planning consent provides for up to 70 units. The development will also contain several communal facilities including a dining room and bistro, lounge, hairdressing salon, treatment room, rehabilitation gym and overnight guest accommodation.
Having driven past this area multiple times, I failed to notice the convent becoming disused. After finding @Morrisey ‘s lead in NP a few weeks after it was posted it made sense to make the 20-minute drive over and scout it out. I was in normal attire and had no camera bag with me and made my way on site in hopes of finding an entrance and returning. A couple of cars were parked up and there was an open door to the smaller building next to Lancaster House. I took the easy access opportunity and had a look around and was disappointed as to what was inside. The tower of this front building was the only interesting looking feature from the outside. I didn’t get close to finding a way up as what I didn’t know is that security was posted inside this building and found myself opening the door into his office moments later. He was a relaxed guy who walked me out and said have a walk around outside if you wish, so I did. I wandered over to Lancaster House out of his sight and found an entry. Another internal recce proved it was definitely worth shooting so I called up Alex and went to pick up my camera and returned the same day. This time we steered well away from the tower block just so we weren’t spotted and removed from inside the main building.
To start with, the bland tower building. We explored this last due to security being so close. We tried various other entry options to the tower but again failed.
Inside the top floor looking into the courtyard and the narrow corridors that led to small empty bedrooms, none of which were worth shooting.
Prior in the afternoon we had just used the entry I found earlier to get inside Lancaster House. The entire site was relatively stripped but well-kept with minimal decay and beautiful architecture in the oldest, front section of the house.
Externals:
The more modern block shown above in the last two images was the addition that was used as a nursing wing.
Now to the main POI’s; the entrance and surrounding rooms. All were bland and their previous uses mostly unknown.
We had a suspicion this was used as a dining room as the kitchen backed onto this area.
Kitchen.
The staircase led off the lobby and presented another lovely stained-glass installation and the architecture continued above.
The rooms connected to the following hallway seemed as if they were used as rooms for people living here separate to the nursing wing.
Further down the hallway, more stained glass could be found acting as a skylight.
From this point, we progressed into the nursing wing.
The rooms in here followed suit and remained mostly empty. Some of the bathrooms still had baths and their enabling equipment that still operated.
Nearby we found the chapel and an organ in situ. The organ still worked so we spent a bit of time playing around with it.
To be continued…
