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Croft Then and Now - The General Elliot

14/1/2022

 
Picture

The General Elliot
​Warrington Examiner 1892

To Brewers, Capitalists and others. Valuable FREEHOLD HOTEL and Pleasure Grounds at Croft near WARRINGTON. TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION BY
MR. THOMAS SUTTON at the LION HOTEL, WARRINGTON, on TUESDAY, 13TH SEPTEMBER 1892, at 3 for 4 o’clock p.m. precisely, subject to conditions to be then produced –

All that Freehold, Old-established, and Fully-licensed HOTEL, known as the GENERAL ELLIOT, situate in the centre of the well-known village of Croft, near Warrington, and distant from that town about five miles, and lying at a convenient distance from the neighbouring towns of St. Helens, Wigan, Bolton, Manchester, Leigh, and the thickly populated districts surrounding the same.

The house comprises bar, four public rooms, assembly room, large pavilion, capable of dining 300 persons, and nine bedrooms, with good cellarage, store-room, and out-offices, all being well adapted for carrying on an extensive hotel, restaurant and catering business.
The grounds comprise large enclosed bowling green in excellent condition, commodious outside bar, ornamental pleasure gardens, tastefully laid out with trees, plants, and shrubs, with artificially heated monkey house and aviary, fox-house, stabling for 12 horses, cottage, warehouse, and others, the whole covering a considerable area.

The above affords an opportunity seldom to be met with to purchase a well-established pleasure resort of a most successful and remunerative character, and which could readily be further developed to an almost unlimited extent.
The Hotel, where there is every accommodation for visitors, is easily accessible by road and rail from the above-mentioned and other important manufacturing towns in Lancashire and Cheshire, and the various attractions and amusements afforded by this pleasant resort draw together large concourses of pleasure-seekers, particularly during the summer months.

For further particulars apply to the owner, E. W. SANKEY Esq., Croft: the auctioneer, Warrington 1 or to Messrs. ROBERT DAVIES, KIRKCONNEL, DAVIES AND BURGESS Solicitors, Warrington.

The General Elliot
Online Ad, 2022
130 Years Later

The General Elliot is an attractive 2-storey, double-fronted property with single-storey extensions to the rear including an attractive conservatory. Situated in the suburban village of Croft approximately 4 miles north of Warrington town centre and just north of the M6/M62 interchange equidistant between Liverpool and Manchester. The property is situated in the heart of this attractive village with a mix of 18th-century cottages and more modern housing nearby most of which are relatively high value.

The premises comprise several clearly defined trading areas including a conservatory, rear dining/function room, split-level bar with dining in the lower level and two additional split-level snugs. The property has a light and airy contemporary feel and will comfortably seat 100 covers internally with an additional capacity of circa 80 covers seated in the lawned garden area or on the rear patio with views across the Cheshire countryside.
Additionally, there is a detached two-storey property within the demise previously operated as a general store with the car park to the rear accommodating 50+ vehicles.
The private accommodation consists of three bedrooms, lounge, kitchen, WC, bathroom, utility room and office.

The property trades predominantly as a food-led destination site with much of the impetus being on delivering quality, home-cooked food reflected in the excellent trip advisor reviews and the reputation locally. This is not to detract from the position of the site in the community, ensuring that it benefits from significant wet-only trade encouraged by the quality product range including the capacity to have 4 cask products available. The current menu is positioned such that starters are priced generally between £5-£8 with main courses starting at circa £10 up to £20 with a lunchtime offer available.
The General Elliot then and now
Two images of the General Elliot, old and new, blended together.

Croft in the News-Crime & Punishment

11/1/2022

 
Croft Stories from old newspapers
The subject of this week’s Croft in the News is Crime and Punishment. All articles are from the Warrington Guardian.
There are some to make you smile, but also some that will make you truly grateful we live in our modern world.

Saturday 15th July 1865
Kirkdale Quarter Sessions

Caroline Leigh pleaded guilty to stealing a pair of boots, the property of Elizabeth Brimelow, at Warrington, on the 15th of May. She was ordered to be imprisoned for a month, and afterwards sent to a reformatory for five years.
William Brown, 18 years of age, was charged with having, at Warrington, stolen six pigeons, the property of Joseph Wareham and sent to gaol for six months.
Margaret Maloney pleaded guilty to a charge of having, at Ashton, on the 24th ult., unlawfully wounded William Crook, and was sent to gaol for three months.
​Peter Donaghan pleaded guilty to having stolen thirteen pigeons, the property of William Anderton, at Golborne, on the 5th ult., and was ordered to be imprisoned for three months. 

County Petty Sessions

Nugent Fairhurst, labourer, was fined 5s and 11s costs for being drunk and disorderly in Mill House Lane, Croft, on Sunday 18th June.
John Yates, Labourer, for being drunk and disorderly in Croft village, on Sunday, 18th June, was fined 5s and costs.
Thomas Stringer, for a similar offence in Croft, on Sunday 18th June was fined 5s and costs.
James Webb was ordered to pay costs for having been asleep whilst in charge of a horse and cart on the highroad at Hollins Green on the 17th June.
James Swindle was fined 2s 6d and costs for a similar offence at Glazebrook, on the 19th June.
​Robert Leigh was ordered to pay costs for being at a distance of 100 yards from his horse and cart, at Penketh, on the 13th June.

Saturday 24th January 1903
County Petty Sessions

John Gilfedder, Little Tower, croft, pleaded guilty to having been drunk and refusing to quit the Joiner’s Arms, Croft, on January 17th. The licensee, Mrs. Jackson, stated that she had to call in the police and the defendant had to be forcibly ejected. Gilfedder was so rough outside that he had to be locked up, and he was bailed out the following day. The Chairman said the Bench wished to protect the publicans, and defendant would be fined 10s and costs.
John Curley, of Burtonwood, was fined 2s 6d and costs for having been drunk on the 17th January. This was his 30th appearance.

Saturday 20th December 1873
County Petty Sessions

James Yates, of Croft, was charged with riding on his cart asleep, at Rixton, on the 26th ult., P.O. Turner said he was on duty at Hollins Green, when he saw a horse and cart on the highway, apparently with no one in charge. He found defendant lying asleep at the bottom of his cart, and it was with great difficulty he succeeded in waking him. Fined 1s and costs.
John Hurst, an old man, 64 years of age, living at Croft, was charged with having, on the 7th December, attempted to commit suicide at Croft, by hanging himself. Superintendent Jackson said prisoner was a farmer living at croft. On Sunday morning, the 7th inst., prisoner’s son missed his father from the shippon, where he should have been engaged in milking. After having made a search for him, he succeeded in finding his father suspended by a rope from the neck. He was cut down, a doctor sent for, and prisoner’s life was saved. Had he not been immediately cut down after he was discovered, it would have been impossible to have saved his life. Prisoner now acknowledged the offence, but promised to conduct himself better in the future. He was bound over to keep the peace for six months, himself in £20 and two sureties of £10 each.

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    Author

    Cheyvonne Bower
    I am a local  and family historian with a passion for the past.
    I am a member of the
    ​Manchester & Lancashire Family History Society.

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