Firefighters battled a fire at a Grade 2 listed wedding venue.
Crews were alerted to a report of a fire at Thornton Manor in Wirral shortly after 21:00 GMT Saturday.
Staff and wedding guests were evacuated. A police cordon was established while firefighters tried to put out the flames.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service described it as “challenging” following the spread of fire to Manor Road’s roof.
Sean Martin was at the wedding and said that he was “dancing away” as the fire alarm went off. He was then asked to evacuate.
He said, “The entire roof was just on fire and you could see flames from the upstairs windows.”
“As the night progressed, the entire building seemed to take root.
“What had been an amazing day was cut short by the fire.
According to the fire service, the fire started with a boiler. However, this was extinguished before they arrived.
Further inspection revealed that the fire had reached the roof.
United Utilities, Wirral Borough Council, and the Environmental Agency were all informed of the severity of the incident.
Manor Road is still closed in both directions, but emergency services are on the scene.
Thornton Manor was constructed in the middle 19th century and has been host to many celebrity events as well as government meetings.
Boris Johnson , Prime Minister of Ireland, met Leo Varadkar, former Irish Taoiseach (prime minster) at the venue to discuss Brexit plans.
