Manley Hall, Manchester facts for kids

Manley Hall was once a very grand house located in Whalley Range, Manchester, in England. It was a huge, two-story building built in the Victorian era (a long time ago, when Queen Victoria ruled). It had an Italianate style, which means it looked a bit like a fancy Italian villa. Inside, Manley Hall had fifty rooms, all decorated with expensive furniture and a beautiful collection of fine art.

The house was surrounded by huge gardens, covering about 80 acres. These gardens were special because they had exotic plants, man-made lakes, and many greenhouses filled with beautiful orchid flowers.

Manley Hall: A Grand Victorian Home

What Was Manley Hall?

Manley Hall was a magnificent mansion from the Victorian age. It was designed in an Italianate style, which was popular for grand homes back then. Imagine a house with fifty rooms, all filled with fancy furniture and valuable artworks! The building itself was very large, with two floors.

Outside, the gardens were just as impressive. They stretched over 80 acres, which is like 60 football fields! These gardens weren't just ordinary; they were filled with unusual plants from all over the world. There were also artificial lakes and many greenhouses. These greenhouses were special places where delicate and beautiful orchids were grown.

Who Built Manley Hall?

Manley Hall was built for a very rich businessman named Samuel Mendel. He was known as the "Merchant Prince" of Manchester because he made a huge fortune in the textile industry. This means he dealt with fabrics and clothes.

Samuel Mendel was born in Liverpool and came from a Jewish family. He became incredibly successful by finding the fastest ways to ship goods, especially textiles, around the Cape of Good Hope to places like India and Australia. This gave him a big advantage over other traders. The house was finished in 1857, and Samuel Mendel moved in the next year, in 1858.

The Rise and Fall of Samuel Mendel

At the peak of his business success, Samuel Mendel became a very important person in the local area. He even became a trustee for St Clement's Church, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, even though Manley Hall was just outside that church's area.

However, things changed for Samuel Mendel's business when the Suez Canal opened in 1869. This new canal created a much shorter shipping route between Europe and Asia, which meant his old, longer routes around the Cape of Good Hope were no longer the fastest. He lost his business advantage. By 1875, he was forced to sell Manley Hall and everything inside it. The sale of the house's contents was so big that it took five days to auction everything off!

From Grand Home to Public Park (Almost!)

After Samuel Mendel sold Manley Hall, it went through a few changes. In 1879, the house was sold again through a special court order. Samuel Mendel bought it back for a very large sum of money, £85,000.

Later that same year, a company was formed with the idea of buying the estate and turning the beautiful gardens into a public pleasure park. A pleasure park is like a fun park where people can go for entertainment and relaxation. However, this plan didn't work out, and the company failed after only two years.

One of the most famous events that happened on the grounds of Manley Hall was when "Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show" visited. Imagine cowboys, Native Americans, and exciting performances right there!

After the park idea failed, parts of the grounds were slowly sold off to build new houses. The grand Manley Hall itself was finally torn down in 1905.

Manley Hall Today

Today, most of the original Manley Hall estate has been built over with houses and other buildings. However, one part of the original grounds still remains open and undeveloped. This area is known as Manley Park playing fields, and it's the only piece left of what was once a huge and magnificent estate.