A crumbling monument to age of glamour

While its location – just outside Rotherham and 27 miles from

Sheffield – might have been far away from the leading lights of London, the 16th-century pile had just been transformed by an ultra-modern makeover and it was where the It crowd wanted to be seen.

Firbeck Hall was billed as Europe's most exclusive country club. With 44-acres of landscaped grounds, it was also home to an aerodrome, tennis courts and it quickly became a haven for glamour, decadence, and a spot of "gin and it".

Even the then Prince of Wales visited the club. Invited by his friend, Capt Tom Campbell-Black, joint winner of the Mildenhall-Melbourne Air Race in 1935, who designed the club's aerodrome, the Duke flew in on his Royal Dragon aircraft, complete with royal insignia.

Inside, the hall was equally lavish. The Jacobean interior had been completely remodelled by Robert Cawkwell of the Sheffield architecture firm of Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson. Sweeping stairways, zebra-print curtains and streamlined fittings made the club an Art Deco paradise and one that went on to feature in an edition of Architecture Illustrated.

According to lifelong Firbeck resident Julia Colver, the club was a retreat for the rich and famous. A refuge away from prying eyes. It was, she says the height of luxury and with her mother a former member, for her the place has added significance.

"That's her," she says, pointing to an old photograph of a lady in a bathing suit leaning against the pool railings. "It was simply a stunning place."

The transformation of Firbeck was masterminded by successful Sheffield stockbroker and owner of the city's Grand Hotel, Cyril Nicholson, who had initially intended to use the hall to entertain his own clients. It was his brother who suggested opening a country club as a way not only of having a good time, but making money. Nicholson took the idea and ran with it.

At 80,000, the renovations were not cheap, but Nicholson was not a man to skimp on detail. For those wanting to keep one eye on their assets, share prices were displayed on the walls, with aesthetically pleasing young women employed to swap the numbers should the values change.

Guests enjoyed late night pool parties, sampled exotic American

cocktails and played blackjack in the card room. Nicholson even

appointed a barman from the Piccadilly Hotel in London.

The club soon earned a prestigious reputation. The BBC, in the early days of radio transmission, broadcast its Late Night Dance Music from the hall and an account of one former guest, Luke Seymour, suggests something of its extravagance: "Evening parties were very popular and dangerous in the pool. John Bowett – who had never dived in his life before – and Ted Tylden-Wright both dived off the high board in their morning suits after a Bowett wedding."

Sadly, those who live in the shadow of Firbeck Hall today can only imagine what it was like in its heyday. Empty, boarded up and weather-beaten, there's barely any hint of the property's former glory. Last year, a fire destroyed part of the roof, which had already had much if its lead removed by thieves and much of the property lies open to the elements.

Cambs Construction, who bought the building in 1996, have under the direction of Rotherham Borough Council, made some emergency repairs, but its future, along with the lodge house and grounds, still remains uncertain. However, Firbeck Hall, so popular with the great and the good, still has its supporters who are now campaigning for greater protection.

As well as calling for the restoration of the buildings, The Friends of Firbeck Hall (FoFH), want the property's listing to be upgraded from Grade II to Grade II*. The higher status would impose stricter conditions in terms of maintenance and would, crucially, make the

building eligible for grant aid.

Until then, the responsibility for ensuring the current owners maintain the site properly lies with the council.

"Over the years we have been in regular contact with the owner of the hall and where necessary have used our powers to get them to undertake agreed repair work to the fabric of the building, which has been completed," said a council spokesman.

"Works have also been carried out on the building since the fire last year as well as security improvements for the whole site. In the meantime, apart from regular discussions with the Friends group, we are also in talks with the owner and interested third parties in an effort to secure this important building's long-term future."

No one from Cambs was willing to comment on the future of Firbeck Hall, but FoFH member Sid Ellis said their own campaign is two

pronged. "First, we have the serious pressing issue of the state of the hall. We are particularly worried the recent bad weather may have further affected the building and while essential repairs were made after the fire, we are concerned about their longevity. Secondly, the group are talking with a trust interested in developing the hall."

Details of the trust's involvement are not yet being made public, but FoFH chairman Simon Drohan is hopeful that talks could turn a positive corner this year. If he's right, it could mark yet another important chapter in the club's colourful history.

Closing in 1940 when luxury gave way to the war effort, Firbeck Hall was turned into an annex for Sheffield Infirmary. The RAF also made use of its aerodrome and landing strip.

After the war, the Miners' Welfare Commission purchased the building and it became a rehabilitation centre for injured miners. The centre closed with the decline of the industry in 1984, but the property continued to be maintained.

From a luxurious retreat for the glamorous to a hospital for the wounded and a rehabilitation centre for some of South Yorkshire's hardest working men, Firbeck has always been more than just bricks and mortar and, if they get their way, the Friends will ensure its long, proud history is not forgotten.

"The hall has always been an asset to the village, but now it is a liability," adds Julia. "All we want is to restore its former glory."

n The Friends of Firbeck Hall now have 200 members. Visit

http://fofh.wetpaint.com.