Mansions in Accrington.
 

Thought it was time for a new thread on interesting buildings we once had in Accrington.

Can you believe we have had the most AMAZING mansion houses here.

Ever wondered why we have such a street name as Mansion Street South? Its because the street is built on the site of one!

ACCRINGTON HOUSE was built by the first Jonathan Peel c1800 and demolished in 1889, when rows and rows of terraced properties were just springing up in our town. The house itself was situated on what is now OSWALD STREET and the grounds now built on by such streets as ...Washington, Bold, Cedar, Stanley and Avenue Parade. In its time, it was reputedly the largest and finest house in the district.

Atarah

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Thank you.

Great photographs, and details.

A beautiful late Georgian house. You could imagine a Jane Austen heroine living there.

A pity it's no longer standing.

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Regarding old houses in the Accrington area I remember a similar Georgian House in Gatty Park. I have not been back to the area for over 60 years but I wonder if this house is still standing. Does anyone know who lived there and what was the history of the place?

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

The house in Gatty Park is still there. Sorry can't help with the history but sure somebody will.

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

I live where Laund House used to be in Baxenden. If anyone has pictures I'd love to see them

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Taken from the 1871 census. Seems the house in Gatty park used to be be called Glenfield Hall.
Glenfield Hall, Hyndburn Rd., Church
Fred. A GATTY/Head/m/57/Manufacturing Chemist/France Alsace BS
Sarah M A GATTY/Wife/m/44/YKS Bradford
Fred. A GATTY/Son/15/Scholar/Accrington
Albert A GATTY/Son/12/Scholar/Accrington
Mary E GATTY/Daur/10/Scholar/Accrington
Victor Herbert GATTY/Son/6/Scholar/Accrington
Edmund I GATTY/Son/4/Accrington
Eleanor WHATTON/S-I-L/u/38/YKS Bradford
Wemma COURT/Governess/u/28/Governess/Devonshire
Katherine PRITCHARD/Serv/w/33/Maid & upper Nurse/CHE Malpas
Martha BRUCE/Serv/u/23/Dom Serv Cook/N Wales Caersws
Mary RAWSON/Serv/u/25/Dom Serv Waitress/NTT Newark
Elizabeth GLOVER/Serv/u/25/Dom Serv Upper Housemaid/Sutton
Mary H HOWARTH/Serv/u/24/Dom Serv Under Housemaid/Mouchhay 71.221
Eliza WILKES/Serv/u/18/Dom Serv Under Nurse/Manchester
Annie MANSELL/Serv/u/29/Dom Serv. Seamstress/SAL Ellesmere
Mary Ann MITCHELL/Serv/u/21/Dom Serv Under Laundress/n America Ohio US
Ellen TOTTERINGTON/Serv/u/24/Dom Serv kitchen maid/YKS Clapham
William VARLEY/Boar/u/30/Coachman & Dom Serv/Kent Margate
Henry CLARK/Boar/u/20/Groom & Dom Serv./Hampshire Alsford

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

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

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Before my time, but I think there were two houses there. Both gothically grand, and built for local industrialists. My mother remembers you could see into one that was filled with statues.

My neighbour says she has a photograph of one of the houses. When she finds it I'll see if she'll let me scan it, and post it on here.

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Lovely, Atarah. Such a shame that they went and knocked it down.

I have a photo taken with my mother outside the house in Gatty Park. Sadly, it's the only one I have with her.

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Can only remember the one Rindi, but think that's the one your Mother is on about, would be great to see a photo of that house again after all these years, There was the Gate house, which I think is still inhabited to day. Spent all my youth in and around the Plantation as it was known in those days, even though I wasn't allowed to venture in there by my parents, think we called it adventure in those days, just like trying fags and the like for the first time.:rolleyes:

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

There you go.

http://www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk/downloa...Leaflet_1_.pdf

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Hiya Roy, thats a good link. I wonder why it's called Elmfield hall on there and Glenfield Hall on the census.

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

The gates were at the end of Elmfield Street, maybe called Glenfield because of people who lived there at one time:confused:

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Cheers for that Roy great link:)

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

the house in gatty is part used as flats these days, have 2 mates live yon.

Mansions in Accrington.
 

Here we have Bank House. Demolished and Queen Elizabeth Crescent (Sandy Lane area) built on the site.

Atarah

Mansions in Accrington.
 

Sorry the photo of Bank House was not very good. This one is clearer I believe. The second photo shows some of the remaining driveway wall, still there, on the old track by the Ambulance Station. If you also look at the top of Adelaide Street, you can still see the remaining gate posts of Bank House.

T'was a lovely house, and was auctioned off in 1957. Lady Higham was the last owner of the property.

Here are a list of all the rooms which were mentioned in the Sales Catalogue:-Garage, Wash-House, Butlers Pantry, Kitchen, Boot Room, Main Hall, Billiard Room, Dining Room, Drawing Room, Morning Room, Conseratory, Library, Domestic Sitting Room, Bedroom, 8 in total.

Atarah

Mansions in Accrington.
 

This is for Entwisi, a photo of Laund House, Baxenden.

Atarah

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Does anyone have a decent picture of Lower Antley Hall? It was formerly owned by my ancestors.
Thanks

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

There is still a rather splendid house in Foxhill. It looks like it's been divided into two homes now but it's quite something.

Rhyddings Hall used to be quite special as well and I believe there was one where Catlow Hall St is - called, wait for it..... Catlow Hall.

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Where abouts Gayle, I ain't been in Foxhill for over 30 years, seem to remember that a woman who played Hockey for England Valery something or other, live somewhere in that neck of the woods, I know Brian Barns the Scrap Metal bloke used to have the old gate house, but that was over 25 years ago

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Valerie Walsh Jaysay.

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

he still had it a couple of summers back, we was walking up yon n was talking to him.:)

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Like I said cashy I knew he lived there because I sold him some kitchen units quit a while ago, he used to have the Scrap yard on Roe Greave Road, don't even know if that is still there these days:confused:

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

When I saw this name kate it didn't ring any bells at all, I do have an old copy of the electoral register, so have just dug it out and its Valerie Robinson Foxhill Bank House, The Coach Road

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

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Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

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Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Hi, can I just mention that the house was never known as anything other than Elmfield Hall. Its just a case of one of the transcribers reading it incorrectly. Have just looked at the 1871 census, and, because I am a local person, I know it reads Elmfield. Someone outside the area has just put what they "thought" it said.

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

It's good stuff reading about these old 'Mansion houses'; most of 'em were built in the early part of the 19th century as homes for local industrial magnates. It would be nice to see a piccy of the old Manor House at Church (hence Manor |Gardens), which I believe was destroyed by fire sometime in the 1940's. That lay on the site roughly opposite where Dill Hall garage now stands. I believe it may well have been a 17th century building, but there is some historical evidence that a building of a similar nature has been on the same site from the 13th century and possibly even before...anyway, it would be nice to see a snap of the building lost in WW2, if one is available....I've never seen one.

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Tealeaf I can remember the house that you refer to but I think the fire was well before the War. Around 1937 if my memory serves me right.I lived opposite and I think that I remember a Thunderbolt dropping onto the roof and setting the building alight. But then I was only about 6 years old so I could be wrong.

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Thanks for that Atarah, :)

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

There is a photo in the Jubilee book Jelly Baby .. well, says photo, but looks like a sketch to me. Presume you may have seen this already. If not, will try and get it scanned for you. This is the text that goes along with it :

'Built about the beginning of the seventeenth century, was one of the most ancient halls of Accrington, and was situated where Lonsdale Street and Newark Street now stand. (well not now .. LOL). The Rishtons inhabited it until 1821. In later years it was divided into tenements, and was finally demolished to make way for town improvements'

Valerie Walsh was her maiden name Jaysay, sorry. She was a year above me at school.

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Tar Billy Metcalf lived lived at Manor House, he lost a son and a stepson in WW1.

Retlaw

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Hi, by saying the old Manor House, do you mean Church Hall? If so, there is a photo in the Old Homesteads, which I could scan for you. If so, it states that towards the end of the 17th century, and for a considerable part of the 18th century, the Hall was occupied by the Entwistle family. There are several references to the family in the registersof Church Kirk. Around 1928 the Broderick family lived there.

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Aye, thats the one...I wasn't sure about the date of the fire. It would be nice to see a piccy.

Church Hall for Tealeaf
 

This one?

Atarah

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

That's the one......Cheers Atarah.

At first glance, early 17c, I think.:thankya:

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Lived on Barnfield Street in the fifties and used to climb in/ break in to what was probably a garage at Bank House Sandy Lane. Remember there being a wooden plane propeller on the wall. Anyone else remember it?

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

The two i can think of are Aden Hall and Owl Hall which both stood on plantation road ,Owl hall is still there, Arden hall has been long gone but its coach house is still there and occupied.Owl hall has been bought and planning was sought to turn it into flats and some other housing built on the curtalige of the site,but was knocked back i think, so is now stood empty and fire damaged.

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

You've got the wrong house, the one facing the top end of Barnfield St, with the junction of Sandy lane, was Broad Oak House.
Bank House was at the top of Adelaide St, as Atarah quoted.

Retlaw

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

Another picture of the laund here for anyone who's interested.

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

My mum was the cook at Bank House in the early fifties until it was sold off. I remember going there every day after school and sitting in the corner of the kitchen playing with my dolls ha ha. I remember clearly the fabulous staircase and the billiard room and I was once allowed to go upstairs and see one of the guest bedrooms and its ajoining bathroom and I can still remember the polished brass pipes and the victorian shower canopy over the bath....I was only twelve when it was sold and dont have any photographs.....I remember the garden parties, the stream running through the grounds and the little bridge over it...and I remember being taken through to sit next to Lady Higham, she asked me some things...dont remember what was said but I remember her high necked, long full skirted black dress ... so very victorian....

Re: Mansions in Accrington.
 

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.