New Berry Hall, Gothic mansion in Solihull, England
New Berry Hall was a Gothic mansion in Solihull featuring a tower modeled after Oxford's Christ Church Tom Tower. The building contained grand reception rooms and extensive service areas that reflected the owner's prosperity.
Joseph Gillott, a Birmingham steel pen manufacturer, built the mansion between 1870 and 1880 on the grounds of Berry Hall Farm. Its construction occurred during a period of significant industrial prosperity and innovation.
The entrance gates feature pen nib designs worked into their locks, showing the Gillott family's ties to the steel pen manufacturing business. This decorative touch reveals the professional identity and success of the original owner.
The mansion had its own gas generation system for cooking and lighting, plus a hydraulic ram that pumped water to a cast iron storage tank. Visitors should know the main building no longer stands, though the North and South Lodges remain accessible.
The main building was demolished in the 1990s after years of abandonment and multiple changes of ownership. The pair of lodges flanking the entrance survived demolition and continue to stand today.
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