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Topic: Traction Engine at Royden park entrance

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Historybook
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Traction Engine at Royden park entrance
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TRaction Engine

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gaynor_wright
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My great Grandad was a Gardner at Frankby Hall (pre 1947), he lived in the lodge at the entrance. I know his name was Alfred Frankel and he came here from South Africa. Does anyone know anything else about him or the Hall?

I am a bit confused about the Hall, is it now a chapel or 'Hillmark Hall'...

thanks

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Doctor Frick
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Hi Gaynor

Franky Hall is the small building which is currently known as Yew Tree Farm but unfortunately i dont have any details on your Grandad. It does seem strange that he lived in a lodge at the entrance however which makes me think he was at Hillbark ??

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motorman
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In Reply to Gaynor I have to slightly contradict Dr Frick, I am afraid.

Frankby Hall is now the offices and chapels for the municipal cemetery in Frankby. The lodge cottage was at the front entrance on the corner of Frankby Rd and Hill Bark Rd near to the centre of the village. It was just inside the left gate post and was demolished in the 1960s I believe. Many estate workers were housed in the cottages down Birch Heys off Montgomery Hill. Royden Manor, formerly called Forton Hey, is also in Birch Heys and was the home of spinster daughter Ann Dean Royden and finally spinster Mary Royden.

Frankby Hall was built by Sir Thomas Bland Royden in 1847 and was eventually sold to the local council. It became a cemetery around 1940.

Hillbark was owned by Sir Ernest Bland Royden. It was originally named Bidston Court but in 1929 it was moved brick by brick and stone by stone to Frankby. The photo of the steam traction engine is taken at the entrance to Hillbark (now a hotel). There is still a substantial and extended gate house there.

I know several older Frankby residents that may have some memory of your grand father.. I will ask.


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Doctor Frick
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Motor Man

Many thanks for the corrections, i will amend the content on the next update.

Cheers
Doc

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Sam
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Hello

I have just come across your post. I actually grew in in Hill Bark Lodge - just inside entrance way to Royden Park. You can actually see one of the gateposts in the photograph above. When my parent's bought it in 1986 no-one had lived in the lodge for around 30 years. It was a fantastic house to grow up in so old and steeped in history.

As I understand, there were two other lodges - one where the main cemetery entrance now is and the other at the entrance coming out on Montgomery Hill. When Ernest Royden lived at Hill Bark (note correct spelling is not what the new owners of the "hotel" are calling it!!) I believe his sister lived in Frankby Hall and the cemetery grounds where her gardens.

If you ever get the chance to walk though Royden Park you will notice many of the trees and plants are not indigenous to the UK and where actually imported from exotic lands from all corners of the world. Mrs. Royden was meant to enjoy her plants and be a bit of a collector of them. The rhododendron walk was a gift to her from her husband.

From the little research I have done on Frankby I also understand the Roydens were wonderful caring people who took in orphans from Liverpool during the second world war in order to keep them safe from the blitz. I have a book at home full of photographs of Hill Bark at this time. Being childless they also gifted their land to the people of Frankby when the died.

I still live in Frankby, I now live in one of the cottages to Torpenhow around the corner from Hill Bark Lodge.



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