Quote:
Originally Posted by jaysay
There used to be a big house in what is now the Foxhill Nature Reserve, was inhabited until the mid fifties, then became derelict, it was on top of the hill. I remember it had a magnificent stair case in it, was a real shame when they eventually pulled it down
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This was Foxhill Bank Hall. It was the residence of Thomas Simpson who was part owner and manager of Foxhill Bank Print Works. He also owned many of the pits around Oswaldtwistle. Thomas was the nephew of James Simpson of Methven in Perthshire who was a calico printer first at Barrow then at Foxhill Bank. His son also called James, cousin of Thomas was a gentleman, not a businessman, and used his inherited wealth to promote vegetarianism, total abstinence, compulsory secular state education, repeal of the corn laws and so on. As a boy I went in the house shortly before it was demolished.