From 1086 to 2023
Our Early Origins
Bowring Park originated as the former Roby Hall Estate and its long history is intertwined closely with Roby Village.
Roby grew from a 10th century Norse settlement called Rabil which translates to ‘Boundary Settlement’.
Roby
Roby came into the possession of Robert FitzHenry of Lathom in the late 12th Century and the family continued to play a significant role in the history of the area. The earliest recorded landscape change was when Thomas de Lathom created a park at Roby in 1338.
Although the boundaries of the medieval deer park that was created are unclear, it is highly likely that they were incorporated within the Roby Hall Estate later to become Bowring Park.
In 1372, his son, issued a charter granting burgage (rental) plots, making his village of Roby a free borough forever.
Roby Old Hall
Roby Old Hall was once located near this eastern entrance and was the original estate Hall before the Georgian Roby Hall was built in 1761.
It was later demolished in the late 1960s/early 1970s.
Georgian Redevelopment
In 1761, the estate was purchased and re-designed by John Williamson, Mayor of Liverpool.
A new new Georgian-style hall and out-buildings were created, set into an ‘English Landscape’; a concept made famous by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown who was at the forefront of fashion during this time.
Look across the road to see the imposing sandstone wall that once formed the boundary to the estate. This screened views of the estate from passers-by.
However, upon entering, visitors were presented with a beautiful parkland landscape vista. Views of the Georgian Roby Hall, however, remained carefully concealed by the treescape until the visitor arrived at the hall. This ‘journey’ to the hall was the concept of the English Landscape design.
Gatehouses
Located at the original western and eastern entrances were the Liverpool and Roby Lodge Gatehouses respectively.
It is estimated that these buildings were lost at the time of the M62 construction in the early 1970s.
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