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For ten years, readers of the Southport Visiter and Formby Times followed the ups and downs of family life in the Atkinson household in Deb’s Diary. Now Debbie has reached a new stage in her life – her three children have flown the nest and her husband has retired. In Deb on the Web she will be talking about some of the interesting places, both near and far, that she has found on her “retirement travels� and she’d love you to leave feedback (good or bad) on places you’ve visited.

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LYDIATE HALL FARM, SOUTHPORT ROAD

Posted by Debbie Atkinson on January 18, 2008 7:36 PM | 

A reader of this blog suggested I visit Lydiate Hall Farm tearooms (opposite the church on Southport Road). We went for a drive today and enjoyed a homemade scone and coffee. We were too late for lunch but the steak hot pot pie described on a blackboard sounded like just what the doctor ordered on a grey and wet miserable day. There are stunning views over the nearby fields, which must be beautiful in the summer. The place is quite rough and ready and the chair covers could do with replacing but it's cosy and worth a visit. While you're there you can visit the gift shop - full of home-made items and the farm shop, crammed with vegetables that look as though they've just been gathered from the fields as well as homemade preserves. The main attraction as far as I was concerned was the abundance of peacocks, pea hens and cockerels - there were hundreds of them, all really tame and making quite a racket. But a tip - if you visit in the rain take some wellies. One of my shoes sank into the mud as I was trying to get to the gift shop.
While you're in Lydiate it's worth taking a look at The Abbey
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This is St. Catherine's Church, known locally as Lydiate Abbey. The church probably dates from around the 13th or 14th century but was abandoned when Catholicism was outlawed. Left to the elements, the ruins remaining today give some indication of the splendour of the building.

And of course you mustn't forget the Scotch Piper, the oldest pub in Lancashire. Although I've always felt that so much more could be done with it.
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Don't forget to let me know your recommendations - just click comment below - you don't need to give your email address or URL, just your name and your comment. Some recommendations will appear in the paper as well as on this blog

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Comments (3)

Malcolm Harper wrote...

Looking forward to visiting the tea rooms. I didn't even know the place exoisted so thanks for the tip-off

Posted by: Malcolm Harper  | January 18, 2008 7:55 PM

Michelle Barlow wrote...

I could not help noticing the comments about the Scotch Piper Inn. Longstanding local residents will of course remember the days when lydiate was indeed within the County boundary of Lancashire. However, with the formation of the Metropolitian Borough Councils Lydiate is now within the Boundary of Merseyside. However, this was not the real reason for this posting. I was intrigued by the comment: " And of course you mustn't forget the Scotch Piper, the oldest pub in Lancashire. Although I've always felt that so much more could be done with it." The Scotch Piper will no doubt be a listed building and would require some extremely imaginative minds to overcome the restrictions associated with listed building status. However, I would suggest that its popularity with locals and visitors is the fact that it has not changed. St Catherines Church is or was in fact a private family chapel that was connected to Lydiate hall a building similar in statue to Speke hall and Rufford hall. In the 1980s an archaelogical survey/dig took place in the hope of uncovering historical evidence of earlier settlements etc.
In recent years the chapel has been used for outdoor theatrical events. Although, I have not participated in these events I find it strange that these events have taken place when graves still remain within the grounds of the chapel. It has to be hoped that due respect was paid to the departed. Lydiate Hall itself only fell into ruin during the early 20th century. A water colour/painting of how Lydiate hall must have looked can viewed at either Arley Hall or Tatton hall in Cheshire. The exact location to be confirmed.

Posted by: Michelle Barlow  | February 9, 2008 1:11 AM

Jude wrote...

Yes i agree with everything said about Lydiate Hall Farm being a very beautiful and Visit worthy place, But as for the tea rooms, on my last visit ( never to be repeated) The tables smelt of dirty dish cloths, the floor was filthy, cobwebs hung from the ceiling and dried flowers, the chairs were crumby and the seat covers were stained and as for hygeine the Kitchen door was wide open to the farm yard with not so much as a fly screen or half door to stop flies or live stock wandering in and the "cook" was standing in the doorway smoking, it astounds me how this place stays open,

Posted by: Jude  | April 4, 2008 8:08 PM

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