Leasowe Castle Hotel, Wirral

...by this.

Leasowe castle dates back to around 1592 and was built by the 5th Earl of Derby who was at the time 2nd in line to the English throne. Why the Earl built the castle is not known but it is speculated that it was for sporting activities and used as a viewing area for what was way back then the Wallasey Races (horse racing that used to take place on the nearby beach).

The original tower which was octagonal in ...
...an old submerged forest at Leasowe and Meols.

Edward also had a chair made of wood places in the garden facing the sea which he called 'Canute's Chair' and had carved on the back 'sea come not hither nor wet the sole of my foot'. There are many people that believe that King Canute himself actually visited and sat on this chair. Sadly there is no trace of this chair today. Near to where the chair was sited are the 'Mermaid Stones', ... more

****About the castle****

Set back from the main road you have to pass through the wrought iron gates and along the drive which gives the hotel a grand feel. At the end of the drive you reach the car park which has 150 parking spaces. The car park does not detract from the hotels beauty at all so do not be put off by this.

Leasowe castle dates back to around 1592 and was built by the 5th Earl of Derby who was at the time 2nd in line to the English throne. Why the Earl built the castle is not known but it is speculated that it was for sporting activities and used as a viewing area for what was way back then the Wallasey Races (horse racing that used to take place on the nearby beach).

The original tower which was octagonal in shape was built with the entrance door placed over five feet above the ground. Not only was this for security reasons but the area is prone to flooding as the land the castle is built on is slightly below sea level. The ground floor (under where the door was) would have been used as stables. The walls of the tower where three feet thick, later the 6th Earl of Derby added 4 turrets to the tower.

The Earls of Derby gave up the building within 100 years of construction and it was left to go to ruin and it became known as Mockbeggar Hall which is a name that appears to be given to old ruined manor halls. The building was eventually taken over and was owned by several families until in1802 when it was bought by a Mrs Boode whose daughter married a Colonel Edward Cust in 1821. Edward tried to turn the castle into a hotel without success and it remained the family home with many additions added. In 1836 when the Star Chamber of the Court of Westminster was being demolished (called the star chamber as there where stars on the ceiling), Edward saved the Oak panelling and used this on the walls of what was the ground floor dining room although he used this room as a library. This room became known as the star room and also includes locally sourced wood from an old submerged forest at Leasowe and Meols.

Edward also had a chair made of wood places in the garden facing the sea which he called 'Canute's Chair' and had carved on the back 'sea come not hither nor wet the sole of my foot'. There are many people that believe that King Canute himself actually visited and sat on this chair. Sadly there is no trace of this chair today. Near to where the chair was sited are the 'Mermaid Stones', these are boulders that are thought to have been placed here by a glacier during the Ice Age and legend has it that the Mermaid of the Black Rock sat on these .

In 1911 the Trustees of the Railway Convalescent Homes bought the castle and remained the owners until 1970. In 1974 the castle was bought by the Wallasey Corporation who did very little with it and Wirral Borough Council eventually sold it to Ken Harding who opened it again as a hotel. Whilst the Wallasey Corporation owned the hotel I was growing up in the area and there where stories abound about murders and ghosts in the castle, secret passage ways with blood stains and much more, most due to rumour as generally the castle was not open to the public back then.

****What does Leasowe Castle offer us today****

Set back from the main road you have to pass through the wrought iron gates and along the drive which gives the hotel a grand feel. At the end of the drive you reach the car park which has 150 parking spaces. The car park does not detract from the hotels beauty at all so do not be put off by this.

Leasowe Castle is today a hotel and restaurant set in beautiful surroundings right next to the coastline of the Wirral and surrounded by golf courses in abundance.

The hotel has a lot to offer from their midweek golf packages which are basically normal bed and breakfast accomdation but with the benefit of being close to many well know golf course which are:-

Wallasey golf course - This is known as 'The Diamond of the Dunes' for its superb location overlooking the Irish Sea and also because it is said to be a challenging course (cannot confirm this as I do not play golf). This course is approximately 2 miles for the hotel.

Heswall golf course - This is 4 miles from the hotel and boasts spectacular views for the Dee Estuary and the Welsh Hills. I can confirm that this is the most excellent view on a nice sunny day as visit other attractions near to Heswall a lot.

Leasowe Golf course- right next to the hotel certainly within walking distance and this course takes you past the hotel.

The Warren Golf course - Again about 2 miles from the hotel and has views of the Irish sea but not as good as the Wallasey course.

The Royal Liverpool Golf course - this is actually not in Liverpool but located on the Wirral between Hoylake and West Kirby and was the host of 'The Open' in 2006 - a must for the true golf fanatic and located 3 miles from the hotel easy to get to.

****The all important Accommodation****

There are 45 rooms in the hotel so on the small side as hotels go. Most of the rooms in the hotel have a view of Leasowe Golf course and the sea - there is a small supplement for a sea view. The rooms have either twin or double beds of if you want something special book a room with a four poster bed- not sure how many of these there though but I think there are 2 available. All rooms come with trouser press, television, phone, alarm, broadband and pay per view movies.

****The Restaurant****

The Portcullis Restaurant is on the ground floor and overlooks the Leasowe Golf Course and serves English and French cuisine. The kitchen are also able to cater for vegetarian and any other special dietary requirements as long as you give them a bit of advanced warning. Every time I have eaten here the food has been of excellent standard and never had any complaints re service etc.

****Fitness Club****

For those of you who like to keep fit in between all those lovely hotel meals then the fitness club at the Leasowe castle is free for residents. There is also a new treatment room (opened in 2006) which offers, waxing, Eye Treatments, Facial and Body, Hands & Feet, Manicure & Pedicure, Foot care (standard or luxury) and Holistic therapies.

****Functions****

Of course - weddings are catered for and the hotel has its own wedding planner who will take care of your every need and with 6 acres of gardens surrounding the hotel there are plenty of places for that all important special wedding photograph (sound like sales person and no I do not work here, just live nearby).

Conferences facilities are also available from the small to the large there are plenty of rooms to choose from to suit your needs, I like the smaller ones as they still have the traditional décor. The largest of the rooms can hold up to 400 people.

****Special Events****

Throughout the year the hotel hosts themed nights or 'special events' and one of these that is held a few times throughout the year is a murder mystery night. You do not have to actually stay the night in the hotel to attend as you can just go for the meal and the murder mystery. The set up for this is that a group of actors stage a murder as you are starting your meal and you have to solve the mystery (you can play in small groups, you do not have to include your whole table) thought the process of the night, clues are given and more acting between courses. The theme is different each time to no chance of seeing the same crime.

For me I have never actually stayed overnight at the hotel as I only live a couple of miles away and easy to get home. I have, however, attended various functions such as weddings, birthday parties, day time functions and have found the hotel very welcoming and eager to attend to your needs. Sadly I have yet to discover any of the secret passages which have the blood stains nor have I seen any ghosts but this does not mean that they are not there. Lets face it the building is extremely old and has undergone modernisation over the years and there must be some secret areas which the public will never know anything about and maybe a few shy ghosts lurking in some of the passageways but for me this will always be part of the attraction of the place.

Thks for the read J.
 

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