Drywood Hall (Bridgewater School) Worsley Road, Worsley

House, now Bridgewater School. Timber-framed stone slate roof. 6 bays and 2 storeys with wings to rear. Datestone "BT 1855" above door and Bridgewater coat of arms above entrance porch. The extent of rebuilding in 1878 (see below) is unclear. The half-timber style is in keeping with earlier buildings in Worsley, including the Aviary and Courthouse.

Whilst it has the modern title of hall, Drywood did not form one of the halls within the manor of Worsley. This distinction belongs to Kempnough Hall, Worsley Old Hall, Worsley New Hall and Wardley Hall. Instead it was a farm Within the hamlet of Drywood. It continued as such until 1878 when the Bridgewater Trust sold it to Robert Wood with a covenant that he had to spend £700.00 on improvements. The re-build still retained some of the farm buildings to the rear of the Hall. The Bridgewater Trust bought the building back for £1500 at the end of the 19th century. In 1908 it became the home of Jesse Wallwork who had been appointed as Chief Agent of the Ellesmere Estates and later became the Managing Director of the Ellesmere Trust. In 1923 Mr Wallwork became the Chairman of Bridgewater Estates which was formed to buy the local mining business and local estates from the Ellesmere family. He continued to live in the Hall until his death in 1951. After the death of his wife later that year the Hall was sold 1952 by Bridgewater Estates to a Parents’ Association who then used the Hall as the current Bridgewater Independent School. [Worsley Civic Trust Newsletter Winter 2019 page 15]

Reference           Worsley Civic Trust Newsletter Winter 2019 page 15 – Andrew Darlington