Introduction

MARA became interested in the Palace Hotel at Birkdale Lancashire, during the latter half of 2006 when member, Ian Pickup, presented the editor of our organisation’s magazine, the Paranormal Researcher with a small cutting from a Southport newspaper showing a picture of the hotel with a couple of lines about its architect having committed suicide after discovering that the hotel had been built back-to-front.   Many guests, allegedly, reported seeing his ghost on the second floor of the building.  

Our editor wanted to know more about this hotel and so Ian began his research with the intention of writing a couple of pages for the magazine.

Very slowly some of the mysteries of the hotel began to unfold and it became clear that the history of the Palace is much, much more than a short story, although many of its secrets will undoubtedly remain hidden for ever.

HISTORY OF THE PALACE  

The Palace Hotel opened in 1866 on a 20 acre sea front site at the end of Weld Road , Birkdale - a 200 ft long, luxurious hotel with 75 bedrooms and magnificent reception rooms used for banquets and concerts.

However, on completion, it is said that the hotel was discovered to have been built the wrong way round, so instead of the hotel front facing out to sea, it faced inland.

The architect, Mangnall of Mangnall & Travis (Manchester) is said to have committed suicide by jumping from the roof of the building. There have been stories of the architect's ghost travelling up and down in the lift and walking along the second storey stone floors whilst the building was being demolished.

In 1881 the hotel was completely refurbished and the grounds were reduced from 20 acres to five acres as a new wing was added.

It boasted modern suites with bathrooms, hot and cold water in all rooms.  The bathrooms were equipped with needle and shower sprays.  A variety of baths were installed, a pipe built to draw in salt water from the sea and an elevator installed to all floors. It re-opened with over 60 staff.   

Later, electric lighting was installed, produced by a steam-driven generator. It attracted a wealthy clientele.

By 1910 the hotel was sold following ongoing financial problems, and for the next 50 years it was a holiday hotel and conference centre.

In 1942, it was taken over by the American Red Cross and used as a rest home for the US Army airmen until 1945. During this period, it was one of the largest rehabilitation centres in the country for US Air Force personnel, with more than 15,000 recuperated from active flying service there.

The Coach House was converted to the hotel’s non-resident’s bar to keep local residents separate from the hotel guests

The hotel ballroom was used regularly into the 1960s, when its final owners, Heddon Hotels, went into liquidation and were wound up in 1967. In February of that year there were only two guests - an elderly permanent resident and the company controller's wife.

Boris Karloff made his last film ‘The Sorcerer’ at the hotel just after its closure in 1967.

Its last use was in 1968/9 as a film production base for Tigon, a specialist in low budget exploitation films, which was run by legendary British producer Tony Tenser.

Demolition started a few weeks later in 1969. There is now a housing estate called Ascot Close on the site, although what was originally the Coach House of the Hotel survived demolition and is now the Fisherman’s Rest pub.

Demolition

The story of the haunted lift at the Palace Hotel was first reported in the Southport Visitor on May 6, 1969, when a group of demolition workers reported that the lift was acting very strangely. The workmen were using one part of the hotel to sleep in while they carried out work at the other end of the building.

After about a month they were all sufficiently frightened to decide to move out into lodgings and only work in the daylight.

About mid-April Jos ordered all the power to the building and the lift to be cut off, but the lift still glided from floor to floor with its gates opening and closing and its indicator lights flashing.

Electricity Board spokesmen were quoted as confirming that the building was isolated – not an amp was going into the place.

WAS THE HOTEL BUILT BACK TO FRONT AND DID THE ARCHITECT COMMIT SUICIDE?

The company, Travis and Mangnall, Architects of Manchester  was formed by Henry Travis and William Mangnall (HM120) in about 1846. They were based at 3 Norfolk Street in Manchester according to the Slater's Directories 1848 & 1855.

The company was responsible for many well known and impressive buildings.  William Mangnall was born around 1822.  He died of consumption on the 29th May 1868 aged 46 at Lord Street in Southport in the presence of his son William. This was two years after the Palace Hotel opened.

William became an architect like his father and, on his father's death took over his position in the company.

John Littlewood was articled to Travis & Mangnall in 1850 and was joined by his brother William Henry Littlewood in 1855.

Within a few years Travis retired and John Littlewood became Mangnall’s partner.

William Mangnall junior died aged 67 and was buried in Audlem Cemetery on the 21st October 1917 .

Upon the death of William Mangnall, junior, William Henry Littlewood (1839-1921) became a partner and in 1869 the firm became known as Mangnall & Littlewoods.

The company’s first experience of seaside work was in Southport with the Victoria (1876) and Palace (1880) Hotels.

By mid 1890s the practice was tackling a substantial number of commissions throughout Lancashire and the Isle of Man , and in 1895 won a competition to enlarge Blackpool Winter Gardens which they accomplished on a grand scale.

As a result of their success they went on to extend Morecambe Winter Gardens which they did in the form of the Victoria Pavilion in 1897.

They designed the Morecambe Hotel Metropole (1897) and went on to build Bridlington New Spa Theatre (1899) and the Colwyn Bay Pier & Pavilion (1900) before the death of John Littlewood in 1901.

William Henry Littlewood carried on alone, still as Mangnall & Littlewoods, before retiring around 1910.

Conclusion

We now know William Mangnall, senior, died of consumption in 1868 and that his son, William, lived until 1917, dying at the age of 67.  Mr. Travis retired around 1855 and the Littlewood brothers continued working for some considerable time, going on to build more impressive buildings.

We conclude therefore, that the architect did not commit suicide.

Enquiries made by MARA in an attempt to view plans of the Palace Hotel have not been fruitful, however, it could be considered that the hotel was built facing inland to protect the reception area from full exposure to the coastal elements.  That this would have been a major consideration is supported by the report that the extensive renovations in 1881 included the construction of a high embankment on the seafront to keep the facilities sheltered from prevailing winds, the structure being topped with a 650ft promenade to overlook the shore.

There can be no doubt that the architects, Mangnall & Travis were hugely successful both prior to and following the construction of the Palace Hotel, and it would appear very unlikely that such a blunder would have been made.

We therefore conclude that the hotel was not built back-to-front.

The Haunted Lift

MARA member, Ian Pickup, consulted an experienced lift engineer in an effort to discover in what, if any, circumstances a lift could move without power.

He advised as follows:

The lift car is operated by a large lift gear motor assembly, usually in the roof area.  Also in the roof area is a control unit taking messages (commands) from person inside the lift car and at each floor.

Should the lifting cable break, or go very slack, the car wedges would eject from the car sides and wedge into the lift wall.  If the power to the lift motor failed the electro-magnetic brake would come on, holding the car in position.

The lift car could not move upwards should power to the lift motor fail.

CONCLUSION

MARA is unable to offer an explanation for the moving lift phenomenon and this remains a mystery.

Feedback from the MARA investigation on 9/10^th December 2006

Fishermen's Rest

On the evening of the 10th December 2006, the night after the MARA investigation, MARA presented their results to the public and representatives of the Southport Offshore Rescue Trust (SORT) and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

The Fisherman's Rest on the 10th December 2006:  5 MARA members on the left, Mark Rosney, Rob Bethell, Teresa Martin, Ian Pickup and Eileen Shaw, in the centre John Shawcroft (SORT) and Helen Whitehill (RNLI).

The following websites were used in research of the Fisherman's Rest and the Palace Hotel: www.southport.gb.com www.southportpast.com  www.pmagnall.demon.co.uk  

The Fisherman's Rest Pub, Weld Road, Birkdale, Lancashire

Copyright MARA 12th December 2006 

PALACE HOTEL, BIRKDALE, SOUTHPORT

DVD - DEMOLITION – SUMMER 1969

A cinematographic record filmed during 1969 of the demolition of one of Southport ’s most beautiful and imposing hotels – The Palace Hotel, Birkdale.

Completed in 1866 the building gained notoriety as being haunted by the ghost of its architect who, legend has it, on discovering that the hotel had been constructed back-to-front, committed suicide by throwing himself from the roof.  The hotel was, reportedly, also the scene of other suicide pacts and numerous murders.

Produced by members of www.SouthportGB.com

This DVD is available from MARA c/o eileenshaws@yahoo.co.uk or from palacedvd@googlemail.com at a cost of £5 with all proceeds going to Southport Offshore Rescue Trust.  Registered Charity No. 701971