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- May 28, 2015
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History
“The longer it stays in the condition it is in, the reality of the situation is the more damaged the fabric of the site will become… We have seen what happened with sites like Denbigh Hospital – they were buildings that were allowed to fall into a condition of disrepair†(Cllr Aldridge).
Cornist Hall, built sometime in the early 1700s, is a former luxury mansion located in the town of Flint, Wales. It is a Jacobethan style brick and stone structure; although this term was not coined until 1933, and it was the birthplace of Thomas Totty, an admiral who served on the HMS Invincible and alongside Lord Nelson. The town of Flint itself, which derives its name from the Latin term castellum super fluentum (meaning ‘castle on the river’), was a major port and since the 1200s people have inhabited the area for the convenient shape of the land. In later years Flint became well-know for its close proximity to Liverpool, for naval and trade purposes; their main forms of trade principally involved fish and the slave markets. By 1884, the house was purchased by the industrialist, Richard Muspratt, and he commissioned John Douglas, an architect from Chester, to entirely remodel the mansion throughout. Unfortunately, Muspratt died before the house could be altered. The Summers family, who ran an ironworks business; John Summers and Sons in Shotton, were the next to take the house on, and they managed to proceed with making the much needed alterations to the building. By 1953, however, the ownership of the mansion changed hands once again, when it was passed to the Local Authority. After the Local Authority assumed ownership the building was modified internally for catering purposes.
The Hall remained in the ownership of the Local Authority up until 1986, when the Napier family purchased the property. It was later redeveloped into a wedding and banqueting venue. Although it was a popular scene, the Hall was eventually converted into the local golf club’s club-house. Despite the change of hands, Cornist Hall continued to cater for weddings up until its closure in 2012. Since its closure, Flint’s local community have petitioned to save the building, in the hope that it will gain listed status and fall under the ownership of the local populace. In the past few years, since the closure of Cornist Hall, a number of local people have complained about the increase in anti-social behaviour and vandalism, suggesting that the former mansion is a magnet for such activities.
Our Version of Events
After bombing through Wales, in our effort to conserve daylight, we eventually arrived in the town of Flint. It was a quiet scene, and we were conscious that we looked a little out of place, surrounded by local dog walkers and other country folk. So, to blend in a bit, and counter hunger and the long walk we’d created for ourselves from where we’d parked the cars, we [some of us] did a little berry picking on the way. We all survived, so I’m assuming they were edible. Once we reached the old Hall, it was heavily boarded up, so it required a little effort to get inside. As the history states above, the people in the surrounding area have become frustrated by the increasing illicit activity going on in the Hall. Having said that, they still failed to keep us out, and we were soon able to sample the delights Cornist Hall holds behind its wooden boards and ant-climb paint. For the most part, the building is quite stripped, although plenty still remains; including a working piano and an archaic record player. It would appear that bats have also taken up residence upstairs inside the building, which makes a pleasant change from fetid one-legged pigeons.
Explored with Ford Mayhem, Meek-Kune-Do, The Hurricane, Box and Husky.
“The longer it stays in the condition it is in, the reality of the situation is the more damaged the fabric of the site will become… We have seen what happened with sites like Denbigh Hospital – they were buildings that were allowed to fall into a condition of disrepair†(Cllr Aldridge).
Cornist Hall, built sometime in the early 1700s, is a former luxury mansion located in the town of Flint, Wales. It is a Jacobethan style brick and stone structure; although this term was not coined until 1933, and it was the birthplace of Thomas Totty, an admiral who served on the HMS Invincible and alongside Lord Nelson. The town of Flint itself, which derives its name from the Latin term castellum super fluentum (meaning ‘castle on the river’), was a major port and since the 1200s people have inhabited the area for the convenient shape of the land. In later years Flint became well-know for its close proximity to Liverpool, for naval and trade purposes; their main forms of trade principally involved fish and the slave markets. By 1884, the house was purchased by the industrialist, Richard Muspratt, and he commissioned John Douglas, an architect from Chester, to entirely remodel the mansion throughout. Unfortunately, Muspratt died before the house could be altered. The Summers family, who ran an ironworks business; John Summers and Sons in Shotton, were the next to take the house on, and they managed to proceed with making the much needed alterations to the building. By 1953, however, the ownership of the mansion changed hands once again, when it was passed to the Local Authority. After the Local Authority assumed ownership the building was modified internally for catering purposes.
The Hall remained in the ownership of the Local Authority up until 1986, when the Napier family purchased the property. It was later redeveloped into a wedding and banqueting venue. Although it was a popular scene, the Hall was eventually converted into the local golf club’s club-house. Despite the change of hands, Cornist Hall continued to cater for weddings up until its closure in 2012. Since its closure, Flint’s local community have petitioned to save the building, in the hope that it will gain listed status and fall under the ownership of the local populace. In the past few years, since the closure of Cornist Hall, a number of local people have complained about the increase in anti-social behaviour and vandalism, suggesting that the former mansion is a magnet for such activities.
Our Version of Events
After bombing through Wales, in our effort to conserve daylight, we eventually arrived in the town of Flint. It was a quiet scene, and we were conscious that we looked a little out of place, surrounded by local dog walkers and other country folk. So, to blend in a bit, and counter hunger and the long walk we’d created for ourselves from where we’d parked the cars, we [some of us] did a little berry picking on the way. We all survived, so I’m assuming they were edible. Once we reached the old Hall, it was heavily boarded up, so it required a little effort to get inside. As the history states above, the people in the surrounding area have become frustrated by the increasing illicit activity going on in the Hall. Having said that, they still failed to keep us out, and we were soon able to sample the delights Cornist Hall holds behind its wooden boards and ant-climb paint. For the most part, the building is quite stripped, although plenty still remains; including a working piano and an archaic record player. It would appear that bats have also taken up residence upstairs inside the building, which makes a pleasant change from fetid one-legged pigeons.
Explored with Ford Mayhem, Meek-Kune-Do, The Hurricane, Box and Husky.
1: Cornist Hall
2: The Former Entrance
3: Racks and Stacks
4: Old Record Player
5: Record Player Close Up
6: The Piano
7: Old Furniture
8: Classic Fireplace
9: The Bar Upstairs
10: One of the Function Rooms
11: A Small Comfortable Side Room
12: Supplies in the Kitchen
13: The Kitchen
14: A Taste of the Upstairs Rooms
15: Bottom of the Main Staircase
16: The Clutter Downstairs
17: Downstairs Small Bar
18: Memorabilia
19: The Former Dining Room
20: Specials
21: The Dance Room
22: Another Bar
23: Weighing Up the Choices
24: Main Staircase Window
25: A Bad Taste in Curtains and Lampshades
26: The Main Staircase
2: The Former Entrance
3: Racks and Stacks
4: Old Record Player
5: Record Player Close Up
6: The Piano
7: Old Furniture
8: Classic Fireplace
9: The Bar Upstairs
10: One of the Function Rooms
11: A Small Comfortable Side Room
12: Supplies in the Kitchen
13: The Kitchen
14: A Taste of the Upstairs Rooms
15: Bottom of the Main Staircase
16: The Clutter Downstairs
17: Downstairs Small Bar
18: Memorabilia
19: The Former Dining Room
20: Specials
21: The Dance Room
22: Another Bar
23: Weighing Up the Choices
24: Main Staircase Window
25: A Bad Taste in Curtains and Lampshades
26: The Main Staircase
