Winstanley Hall

Winstanley Hall

Winstanley Hall in 2006
Location within Greater Manchester
General information
Architectural style Tudor
Town or city Winstanley, Greater Manchester
Country England
Coordinates 53°31′21″N 2°41′14″W / 53.522389°N 2.687351°W / 53.522389; -2.687351
Completed 1560s
Client Winstanley family

Winstanley Hall is a late 16th-century house in Winstanley, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester (grid reference SD54430310).[1][2] It is listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade II* listed building.[3][4] Originally built for the Winstanley family, the building is one of only three Tudor buildings in the Borough.[2]

History

The hall was built in the 1560s for the Winstanley family of Winstanley; the Winstanley family were lords of the manor since at least 1252 and may have been responsible for building the moat on the site.[2] The Winstanleys owned the hall until 1596, when the estate was sold to James Bankes, a London goldsmith and banker.[5] Winstanley Hall has three storeys and has a date stone with a date of 1584, but this is not in situ so may not provide an accurate date for the construction of the house.[1] Extra blocks were added in the 17th and 18th centuries. Further and extensive alterations were made in 1811-19 by Lewis Wyatt in a Jacobean style. He moved the entrance to the left flank of the hall and replacing the original entrance with a window.[1] The final additions to the hall were made in 1843 when an extra wing was added. To the south, on lands belonging to the hall, is a small stone building which was used to house bears that provided entertainment for the hall's guests.[6] The Winstanley Family also owned the Braunstone Hall estate in Leicestershire. The Bankes family retained ownership of the hall until the 21st century when it was sold for private development. The hall had been kept in good condition until the 1960s when habitation stopped. As the building decayed and the cost of maintaining Winstanley Hall was too much for the family it was sold on.[2] It was intended to develop the hall into private flats, however refurbishment was held up due to Wigan council withholding planning permission. [5]The interior is now in some disrepair.

Access

The building is now owned and controlled by Dorbcrest Homes and is somewhat derelict. Rules for entry are clearly stated on numerous sign posts on the path leading to the property. To gain access the property, people must book an appointment by telephoning the owner of the surrounding land.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Winstanley Hall". Pastscape.org.uk. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Winstanley Hall". Wigan Archaeological Society. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  3. ↑ "Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Wigan". Wigan.gov.uk. Archived from the original on March 6, 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
  4. ↑ "Winstanley Hall". Images of England. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  5. 1 2 "Newsletter #52". Wigan Archaeological Society. April 2002. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
  6. ↑ "Newsletter #53". Wigan Archaeological Society. May 2002. Retrieved 2008-06-18.

External links

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