Mike Hilton is a volunteer at Rufford Old Hall and a member of SoFA. He will talk to us about the Art of Money Laundering which will include the Brinks-Mat Gold Bullion Robbery.
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The National Trust owns 69 acres of farmland east of Rufford Old Hall on what was Manor House Farm. The land is between the Leeds/Liverpool canal and the River Douglas. This was acquired in 2000 to protect the views and settings of the Hall. Past surveys showed a significant amount of peat across the site that was dried out. Peat is vital to the environment and re-wetting the land will not only restore the peat, but also help filter pollution, improve wild habitats, prevent flooding and store carbon.The aim in partnership with Lancashire Wildlife Trust, is to transform the area into a dynamic wet grassland habitat, home for an abundance of wildlife.
On 14th May Justin Matthews, Area Ranger, took a group of National Trust staff and Volunteers on a walk around the Manor House Farm site to show the improvements that have been made. Work had been ongoing during Spring 2025 where a variety of techniques were used in order to rewet the area. Existing ditches were re-profiled in strategic places to encourage the water to spill out onto the fields. Weirs were installed to reduce water flow and loss of water across the site. Several wet grassland species are due to be planted to boost biodiversity and also providing places for wildlife to breed, nest, feed and shelter.
The project is being funded by the Government’s Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme and Starling Bank. The National Trust’s partner across the project is Lancashire Wildlife Trust, who will work to help deliver the Restoration Project and share knowledge, information and research findings.
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Last Christmas (2023) SoFA gave a donation of £3000 to Rufford Old Hall for the purchase of five picnic benches. They have now finally arrived and are in place in the orchard. They are made from Douglas Fir and all but one has extended sides to allow a wheelchair to get under them at the end. David Roberts the head gardener is very pleased with them and hopes to replace all the benches in this style eventually. It was not ideal picnic weather when we visited recently but hopefully they will be well used next year.
The house is open this weekend (Dec 20th – 22nd) and then closes until February 14th for deep cleaning. The grounds, tea room and book shop will remain open after Christmas on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Opening hours will be 10:30 – 15:30.
If you are not a member but would like to join our Association please fill in the Contact Form.
Article and photographs by Lois Hughes.
The SoFA AGM 2024 was held on Friday 26 April at our usual venue of Christ Church Southport.
It was well attended by members, the Chairperson Frank Hyland supplied those in attendance with what SoFA has achieved during the last 12 months, including how much our Association had donated to Formby Point, Rufford Old Hall and Speke Hall. Members of the committee were elected and several members of the committee received long service awards. Once the SoFA AGM 2024 was completed we were supplied with updates from three local National Trust staff.
The first update was given my Lorraine from Speke Hall, who informed us what a success the second hand book shop is by raising thousands of pounds since 2021. Many thousands of visitors attended Speke Hall and the Beatles home during the last 12 months. They have renovated the billiard room; it is now in similar colours as it was in the 1920s. They have used the funds we supplied to replace blinds that allows enough light in so visitors can see the items clearly but also protects the textiles from harmful light. Lorraine shared a message from Simon Osborne thanking SoFA for their donations and support, which allows them the opportunity to carry on renovations at Speke Hall.
We then had an update from Mel who supplied an update about Rufford Old Hall. The last 12 months has been a challenging year for them. The bay window project has now been completed and the final checks have been implemented. An unexpected cost arose due to having to have a new boiler installed, this keeps the house to a appropriate temperature for the contents and comfortable for the visitors who use their café. David, the head gardener, is working on re-installing the cottage garden. This will take time to do, but it will be well worth it in the end. The recent donation that SoFA supplied is to be used to purchase new picnic benches. We were updated by Mel who said a new supplier has now been located as the benches have to be suitable to wheelchair users and be movable. They will let us know when they have been received. Mel thanked the SoFA members for their donations and the support we give them, it is very much appreciated. They could not do what they do without our continued support.
Kate supplied us with updates about several sites that the National Trust has in our location. The boardwalk was damaged at Formby Point during the latest storms. These now need to be repaired and will need to be kept closed until they are safe for the public to use. They have been informed that there could well be a lot more damage that will not appear until the repairs begin. Kate went on the supply us with some information about Manor Hall Farm, Holcombe Moor in the west Pennines, as well as the Lunt Project. Kate let us all know that they cannot do what they do without the support of SoFA and really appreciate the close connection SoFA has with the local National Trust properties.
If you are interested in joining SoFA please contact us using our Contact Form.
SoFA Christmas Tree
On Friday 28 April SoFA’s AGM 2023 was held at Christ Church, Southport. The Chairman welcomed 70 members and thanked them for their enthusiastic support throughout 2022. During 2022 and early 2023 meetings, outings and holidays went as planned after a delayed start.
The new venue at Christ Church is proving a very popular change, especially as members are able to enjoy a light lunch at Café 1821, prior to the meetings. Lois, our Speaker Secretary, provided a varied mix of speakers to entertain at our meetings and together with Roberta, our secretary, the website has been well managed and received many visits.
The Officers required under the Constitution were duly elected for 2023. Members received updates from several National Trust representatives. A newly installed second-hand bookshop is proving very popular at Rufford Old Hall. Formby staff collaborated with local schools and an artist to produce ECO messages and an art exhibition at an event in the Workshop, Formby, partly funded by SoFA.
Further projects involving schools are planned. Chairman, Frank Hyland, commented that it was important for the Association to support young people and families in Trust related activities.
We were also informed about ‘Formbee’ Honey. This is an unrefined honey which is made by bees that take the pollen from the various plants at Formby site. This is a very clever play on words.
SoFA’s AGM 2023 was our last meeting before the Summer break. However, there are monthly outings arranged for the summer as well as the SoFA holiday to Lincolnshire and a lunch at the Old Links Golf Club.
Full details are in our latest membership magazine. If you are interested in joining SoFA please contact us using our Contact Form.
Article Supplied by Frank Hyland – Many Thanks