Category Archives: Historic Houses,
Towneley Hall, Burnley
The first hall was built at Towneley in 1380 and was a large open barn-like medieval building, similar to the ones still seen at Smithills in Bolton and Warton Old Rectory near Carnforth. Seventy years later the huge south wing with its very thick … Continue reading
Stonyhurst Hall and College
Richard Shireburn inherited the estate at Stonyhurst in 1537. He decided to do away with most of the medieval buildings to construct a bigger, grander hall. He held important posts in the county- at various times he was a magistrate, … Continue reading
Feniscowles Hall ruins, Blackburn
Feniscowles Hall stands as ruin today but was once the opulent home of the Fensicowles branch of the Feilden family. Their history in the area accounts for many of the buildings around Feniscowles, and there is still much to see on … Continue reading
The hall at Lostock, St Catherine’s Park, Lostock Hall near Leyland
Residents and visitors to the area of Lostock Hall may wonder where the hall that the township is named after is located. The original building stood on the site of the present day St Catherine’s Hospice, and the area has been recently opened up for those … Continue reading
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
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 Laurence 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. He was also … 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
