History man: Neil Whittingham has driven the restoration of Middlesbrough’ s only Grade 1 Listed building.
Serving the Teesside Business Community | 35 FRONT COVER FEATURE
Words: Dave Allan. Pictures: Martin Walker.
HEALTH AND
HISTORY
As he walks between its oak-panelled rooms, Neil Whittingham can feel rightly proud of his achievement in restoring Acklam Hall to its grandeur and glory of old.
As owner of Acklam Hall Ltd, the Teesside businessman has turned back the clock for Middlesbrough’ s only Grade I Listed building, creating an elegant restaurant and wedding venue inside a 17th Century hall that was home to several generations of the landowning Hustler family.
In normal circumstances the story of a local lad made good returning such a landmark building back to its previous splendour would surely be met only by glowing recognition, but controversies have dogged the project since Whittingham first purchased the property eight years ago.
And yet the true story behind his
Tees Business meets Neil Whittingham to discover the motivation behind his high-profile restoration of Acklam Hall
motivation for purchasing and restoring the hall has never been fully told, leaving the tale shrouded in an element of mystery and misunderstanding.
It was never Whittingham’ s plan to restore the hall, nor – given its huge ongoing costs- does he believe he can make it greatly profitable. In fact, his interest has always been in finding a suitable spot for the health village and private hospital his firm is building behind Acklam Hall.
But more of that later. First, a little about the background of a Teesside success story with a surprisingly low profile.
The eldest of four children, the young Neil spent the first five years of his life in Thornaby before his housebuilder father bought the Dog and Gun in Potto, and for a decade the family lived in the flat above what became one of the go-to destinations in 1970s’ Teesside.
Whittingham Snr sent his eldest son to Mill Hill School in Middlesbrough, at the time one of the town’ s only private schools. Ironically, its playing field looked onto the back of King’ s Manor Secondary School, better known now as Acklam Hall.
He recalls:“ Dad worked seven days and