Category Archives: Historic Houses,
Smithills Hall, Bolton
In 1335 William de Radcliffe acquired the manor of Smithills. During the early years there would only have been the medieval Great Hall on the site, which still exists there today. It is a large rectangular stone building and in here the family and … Continue reading
Platt Hall, Platt Fields Park, Rusholme
Raphe Worsley bought the Platt estate in 1625. He’d made his money supplying yarn to local handloom weavers from Rusholme and selling the cloth they produced in Manchester. His son Charles was a high ranking officer in Oliver Cromwell’s army, raising a regiment in Manchester and later … Continue reading
Posted in Georgian Lancashire, Historic Houses,
Tagged Platt Hall, platt hall gallery of costume, platt hall manchester
Radcliffe Tower, Radcliffe near Bury
After the Norman Conquest of England, Nicholas FitzGilbert de Tabois was given confiscated Saxon manor land in the present day Radcliffe area. He took the name ‘de Radclyffe’ (which means of Radcliffe) and his descendants continued to live in the area for hundreds of years. … Continue reading
Lytham Hall, Lytham
In 1606 Cuthbert Clifton bought the site of Lytham Hall and 5,500 acres of land from the Molyneux family. He ordered the old manor house to be levelled so that he could have a new one built. This Jacobean house still exists today, connected … Continue reading
Lydiate Hall ruins, Lydiate, West Lancashire
The original Lydiate Hall was built by Lawrence Ireland sometime in the 15oos. He had exchanged his land at Garston (near Liverpool) for estates at Lydiate and Maghull. The original hall he built was a single range, possibly made of stone. By the late … Continue reading
Samlesbury Hall, Samlesbury, near Preston
Samlesbury Hall was constructed by the Southworth family around 1425, but there may well have been an earlier hall on or nearby the present site. The person responsible for much of the main fabric of what we see today was Sir Thomas … Continue reading
Witton House, Witton Country Park, Blackburn
Witton House was a huge hall built and owned by the Feilden family.Wealthy textile merchants from Blackburn, they also owned nearby Woodfold Hall and Feniscowles Hall. Built in 1800s it was later extended by Joseph Feilden, who was a dominant figure in Blackburn society. … Continue reading
Bank Hall, near Bretherton, West Lancashire
Bank Hall was the home of the Banastre family who lived in the Bretherton area from the 1200s onwards and were lords of the manor. The 1577 Saxton map of Lancashire shows a Bank Hall, but this was probably demolished to make way … Continue reading
Posted in Historic Houses,
Tagged Bank Hall Bretheton, Bank Hall historic house, Bank Hall history, Bank Hall Tarleton
Wycoller Hall, Wycoller Country Park, near Colne
The ruins of Wycoller Hall are the standing remains of a house with a lot of history, that has been continually added to and rebuilt over many years. Towards the end of this blog is a short guide, describing what can be … Continue reading
Astley Hall, Astley, near Chorley
The first part of this grand hall was built sometime after 1576 by the Charnock family, when their original home in nearby Charnock Richard burnt down. Astley Hall today contains Tudor, Stuart and Georgian architecture that reflects the times and building tastes of … Continue reading
