Category Archives: Stuart Lancashire
Clitheroe’s Town Wells
Clitheroe has three old town wells and they are all worth a visit. Each of them is enclosed by walls and has a flagged floor that would have held a pool of water. They were the town’s only water supply until … Continue reading
Church Cottage Museum, Broughton near Preston
Today a small Tudor cottage stands next to Broughton Church and Primary School. It has had a long and varied history, but now functions as a museum and is open every Sunday afternoon. It was originally built in 1590 as a Fylde Three … Continue reading
Rufford Old Hall, West Lancashire
The Heskeths received their estate and manor at Rufford by marrying into the Fitton family. Maud Fitton brought the land and title in the late 1200 and early 1300s. This was to be the Hesketh’s main powerbase, although they had … Continue reading
Turton Tower, Chapeltown, Near Bolton
In the early 1400s a Pele tower was built on a high commanding spot in Turton. It was a three story rectangular defendable structure, with four foot thick walls and narrow windows. This was a turbulent time with the possibility of raiders coming down … Continue reading
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
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
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
