Photographs taken by an urban explorer show the eerie interior of an abandoned mansion house built in the 19th century. The former Grange Manor Pub on Grange Lane, Gateacre, was originally called Gorsey Cop, an Anglo-Saxon name meaning top of a hill or rise covered in gorse.
The manor first appeared in the 1881 census and was built between 1871 and 1881 for a wealthy gentleman named Harold Cuningham. Cunningham was a Manchester cotton broker who was said to enjoy the superb views across the farmland and heathland to Huyton and Prescot.
During the war, the grandiose old mansion was used by the armed forces as an officers’ club. Hollywood star David Niven was a regular visitor while serving as a lieutenant in the army.
After the war, the house became a residence, then stood vacant for a while, before an entrepreneur turned it into a nightclub and the cellar was converted into a casino. When that failed, someone else thought it would be better suited as a restaurant. For years, it was known as the Grange Manor Restaurant, hosting dinner dances, weddings and conferences.
The business changed hands again in the 2000s, and in 2011, it reopened as the Crying Tree Restaurant and Bar. Sadly, by 2014, the building closed its doors for good, and it has stood empty ever since. Planning permission was reportedly granted in 2017 to turn it into flats.
Last month urban explorer Jake went inside the building to see what it is like inside. While the building still retains some stunning original features, it is a shadow of its former self. His photographs show smashed windows, debris on the floor and evidence of fire damage.
*Entering a privately owned property/site is considered trespassing which is a civil offence in the UK.