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The History of Barton Grange Hotel

Barton Grange was built in 1900, as a country residence for Mr John Healey, a Justice of the Peace and local cotton mill owner.

In 1925 Levi Collison, described in the deeds as “a country gentleman from St. Annes on Sea”, purchased the house. He was still living here in 1940 when the house was requisitioned by the War Office as a mess for officers of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. Several years ago a guest staying in the hotel explained that he had been the requisitioning officer and that Mr Collison had chased him away with a shotgun and he had to return with a police officer!

In 1945 Edward and Ada Topping were running a market gardening business in New Longton, west of Preston. Ada was looking for a large house to run as a bed and breakfast whilst Edward continued market gardening from the grounds. Barton Grange appeared to be tailor-made and they successfully purchased it at auction for £6,450. Unfortunately it was not de-requisitioned until 1950, by which time “it was in a dreadful state”.

Nonetheless Ada set about transforming it and opened for business on the 16th July 1951 with 6 bedrooms. Trade increased steadily, new bedrooms were added in the 1950s and ‘60s and the ballroom in 1960. Significant expansion in the 1970s added 30 more rooms and a new restaurant and bar. The latest major changes occurred in 1996/7 when the entire property was re-designed and refurbished.

During these works, plans from 1901 were discovered; for a Walled Garden to the south of the house. This garden was re-created in faithful detail, had a roof put on it and became The Walled Garden Bistro.

The hotel now has 51 bedrooms, a leisure centre, 2 restaurants and conference and banqueting facilities for 300 but the original house is still at its heart. (You can see the lintel announcing “1900” as you enter this room - through the original front doors)

In 1958, Edward Topping Junior (“Eddie”), returning from his National Service, started Barton Grange Landscapes, operating from the grounds of Barton Grange. In the 1970s Eddie also established a wholesale plant growing division, supplying garden centres up and down the country. Both divisions, located in various places around the county, are still going strong, now under the direction of Eddie’s eldest son Peter.

In 1963 Eddie started the north west’s first garden centre in the grounds of the hotel. This too started out in a very small way, little more than a cabin, but it soon became well established and very widely known. In 1990 Eddie’s youngest son, Guy, returned from Australasia to expand the garden centre division with a new centre in Bolton.

In March 2008, having outgrown this site, Guy moved the garden centre here two miles north, straight up the A6 to Brock. It now occupies a fantastic, 50 acre site with the Lancaster Canal running around it and the River Brock running through it and includes a farm shop and narrow boat marina as well as Willows Restaurant and The Riverside Café.

Eddie also ran the hotel for 20 years from his mother’s retirement in the mid 1970’s before handing over to his other little boy!

Ian Topping, April 2008