We were asked to provide a history of Astley Hall for the Astley and Dunley Parish Council magazine. It gave a lovely opportunity to look back at Astley over the years. Here’s what we discovered.
The history of Astley Hall
Originally called The Hill House, Astley Hall was designed by Harvey Eginton and constructed by George & Welch. They were builders based in Worcester in the early 1830’s. At that time, set in parkland, it was the country home of Moses Harper, The High Sheriff of Worcester.
The house was built in the Jacobean style with ornate angled bay windows, cornices, parapets and shaped gables. The wings to the property and the chimneys are also highly decorated. The interior still largely reflecting the exterior. There are beautifully moulded high ceilings, large fireplaces, a panelled entrance hall and sweeping staircases with viewing balconies.
When Harper died, his property was left to trustees. They sold his main home in Worcester and let Astley Hall in 1836. The tenant who moved into Astley was Thomas Simcox Lea (1789-1868), a local carpet manufacturer. When Harper’s trustees offered the freehold for sale in 1842, Lea bought it.
In 1868, the house descended to Rev. Frederick Simcox Lea (d. 1893), who let it to a series of tenants.
The Prime ministerial years
In 1902, the incoming tenant was Stanley Baldwin. He bought the freehold in 1912, and then undertook some alterations to the house. He added the entrance porch, modelled on that at Grafton Manor, Worcestershire. Above the porch is inscribed “SLB 1912” which refers to the date of the final acquisition of the house by Stanley and Lucy Baldwin. He also remodelled the brick service wing to the south, adding the large tripartite Ionic loggia at its rear.
Astley Hall was their country home, where they raised two sons and four daughters. Stanley Baldwin served as Prime Minister during three terms (1923,1924-29, 1935-37) and as Deputy Prime Minister for four years (1931-35). In 1937 he became the 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley. He continued to live at Astley Hall until his death there on 14 December 1947.
When he died in 1947 (two years after his wife), his titles passed to his eldest son Oliver. However, Astley Hall did not. It is thought that, because he had struggled to keep the house going during the Second World War, Stanley decided to leave it to Birmingham City Council. It was to be used as a boarding school, even though it lay well outside the city boundary. School use continued for a number of years but the house was eventually sold and converted into a care home. The building was awarded a Grade II listing on 27 November 1984.
The Heritage Manor years
Astley Hall was acquired by Heritage Manor Limited in May 2012 and remains in our ownership. On acquisition, we extensively refurbished the building, to retain the grand character features, whilst creating a warm and inviting home for residents and staff. This last year we have also carried out further updates. The gardens still have a formal garden and a walled kitchen garden. Raised beds have been added with wheel chair accessibility and a sensory garden positioned to make the most of the stunning views.
Although not in the ownership of one family, Astley Hall is still very much a family home. The dedicated team at Astley work hard to achieve excellent care and the happiness of the residents is paramount.
