Great Barr Hall, a Listed building, is a nevertheless neglected stately home in Great Barr, Walsall, very near Birmingham, historically in the county of Staffordshire, England.

In the summer of 1818 Charles Pye's book "A DESCRIPTION Of MODERN BIRMINGHAM Whereunto Are Annexed, Observations Made during an Excursion round the Town" included a description of Barr Park

Barr Park, distant five miles, on the road to Walsall.

The hospitable mansion of Sir Joseph Scott, Bart, is surrounded by a park of considerable extent, wherein there is the greatest variety of undulating hills and dales, wood and water, together with such extensive views, as can only be found in this part of the kingdom. To this park there are three entrances, and at every avenue the worthy proprietor has erected an elegant lodge, from whence there are capacious carriage roads to the mansion. One of these lodges is about five miles on the road to Walsall, to which you approach by taking the right hand road, opposite a house of entertainment, the Scott's arms, and then taking the second turning to the left conducts you to the lodge. On entering the park, a circular coach drive leads to the holly wood, through which you proceed by a serpentine road near half a mile, when a beautiful sheet of water presents itself to view, along whose banks you pass near a mile before you arrive at the mansion.

The situation of the building is low in front of the water, but being screened by rising ground and lofty trees, it must be very warm in the winter. On the left of the house, a walk leads you to the flower garden, which is laid out with great taste, containing flowers and small shrubs of the choicest and rarest kinds, together with a fountain in the centre. From hence there are delightful views, and among others over the adjacent country, Birmingham is distinctly seen. At the distance of about two miles farther, towards Walsall, there is another lodge, which is the entrance from Walsall, and leads you by a spacious serpentine road through the Marrian wood, which is composed of various shrubs and evergreens, and conducts you to a most elegant chapel, with a beautiful and well-proportioned spire, underneath which you enter into one of the most sumptuous places of worship in the universe. There are in the whole eleven lofty windows, and seven of them are ornamented in the most elegant manner with stained glass, by Eginton: they are all full length figures, large as life, with their proper attributes. The first represents Fortitude, the second Temperance, the third Justice, in the fourth, which is over the communion table, is the apotheosis of a child, after the Rev. Mr. Peters, the fifth represents Hope, the sixth Charity, and the seventh Prudence. The pews and every other part correspond, there being a sumptuous organ, with a gallery in front of it, which extends on each side, before two windows. In a spacious cemetary there are some tombs, much more elegant than are usually met with; there is also a yew tree of large dimensions, which is grown much higher than trees of that species do in general, and also some venerable elms, together with the village school. Close adjoining is another lodge, and the road from it conducts you over an elegant bridge, on the right of which is a cascade.

There is also another lodge, at a place called the Quieslet, about six miles on the road to Barr-beacon, where a spacious road conducts you for a considerable distance, by a plantation of oaks, and so through the park, wherein there are fixed numerous seats, which command delightful and comprehensive prospects, and among others may be seen the extensive sheet of water in the vale, backed by a grand screen of venerable oaks and verdant hills; at same time, from amidst the nearer trees and shrubs, the house appears to emerge, and adds considerably to the scene. From the various knolls with which this park abounds, there are several that command a view of Birmingham, and also of the woods in Sandwell park.

There is also a view of the ruins of Dudley castle, and from another eminence the churches of Wolverhampton and Wednesbury are seen, with the elegant spire of Barr chapel in front. From the lodge at the approach from Walsall there is an extensive view over the country, bounded in the horizon, to the left by Dudley castle, the Rowley hills, etc. and to the right by the Wrekin and other mountains in Shropshire.

Formerly the home of the Scott Family (who gave ther name to the nearby Scott Arms pub and shopping centre), during the late 1700's the Hall was owned by Samuel Galton and was the venue for meetings of the Lunar Society.

Some memorials to the Lunar Society, the "Moonstones", are nearby.

Two of the extant lodge houses are believed to be by Sir George Gilbert Scott.

The first record of the Scott family residing at Great Barr dates from 1332 when William Scott was assessed for the Scottish War Subsidy. Burkes Peerage suggests that the Scotts had been banished from Scotland by Edward I in 1297 and were barred from settling any further north than Great Barr.

Much of the history of the Scott family has been lost in the mists of time. It is however known that a Richard Scott (1612-1675) was the first member of the family to move to what was called the 'Netherhouse'
The major reconstruction of Great Barr Hall happened in 1777. Stebbing Shaw in his "History and Antiquities of Staffordshire" notes:

" ... the present possessor about the year 1777 began to exercise his well known taste and ingenuity upon the old fabric, giving it the pleasing monastic appearance it now exhibits ... and has since much improved it by the addition of a spacious dining room, at the East end, and other rooms and conveniences"

The owner at that time was Joseph Scott.
Between 1830 and 1848 major re-construction of the Hall took place which included the addition of a clock tower. The South elevation of the Hall was extended, the entrance was moved to the North elevation, a building to the rear was demolished and the North and West elevations were extended. Later in this period further extensions were added to the North and West elevations. A conservatory was also added to the South elevation.

In the period to 1863 a chapel was added to the South West corner of the Hall. This room is thought to have been designed by Sir Gilbert Scott who is also attributed with other additions to the estate. The chapel is not all it appears as it was a billiards room. These include a Gothic boathouse, a footbridge across the upper lake and one of the lodges.

A collection of photographs by Sir Benjamin Stone taken around the turn of the century show that the Hall has remained unchanged since the chapel was added in 1863.

Around 1905 the whole of the vast Park area was surrounded by a stone and brick wall, the bouncaries being Walsall Road, Queslett Road, Beacon Road, Old Hall Lane and Chapel Lane. The boundary was in the charge of a man called Barker, who kept it in repair. He lived in a cottage in Sundial Lane and had a donkey and a cart with which he took his tools and mortar around the estate.

There were six lodges and drives leading into the estate, these were Handsworth Lodge off Queslett Road, Queslett Lodge (near the giant chestnut tree recently felled), Beacon Lodge in Beacon Road, the two Church Lodges on either side of Chapel Lane and the Walsall Road Lodge near the Bell Inn. The drives were a thing of beauty with wonderful trees and shrubberies.

After the death of Lady Bateman-Scott in 1909 the Hall was purchased by West Bromwich Poor Law Guardians. From 1918 Great Barr Hall was used as a hospital for the mentally ill.

in 1925 a two-story extension was added to the North elevation. No further alterations were recorded until 1955 when the clocktower, stables and part of the West wing were demolished. The Hall was subject to further insensitive modification in the late 1960's when the magnificent oriel windows on the North elevation were replaced with metal casements.

By 1978, having survived plans for its demolition, the Hall was superfluous to the requirements of the Health Authority. Subsequent attacks by vandals and arsonists have reduced the hall to its current state of near collapse.

• Scotts of Great Barr
• Great Barr Hall Action Commitee , History of Great Barr Hall and action to prevent site being built on