Astley Hall, Chorley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Astley Hall |
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| Astley Hall Museum and Art Gallery | |
Astley Hall in 2022, after restoration
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| Type | Manor house |
| Location | Chorley, Lancashire, England |
| Built | c. 1570 onwards |
| Architectural style(s) | Elizabethan and Jacobean |
| Owner | Chorley Borough Council |
| Website | Official website: https://chorley.gov.uk/astleyhall |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: 21 December 1966 | |
| Designated | Astley Hall |
| Reference no. | 1362068 |
| Official name: Astley Hall | |
| Designated | 1 April 1986 |
| Reference no. | 1000943 |
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Astley Hall is a beautiful old country house located in Chorley, Lancashire, England. It's now a museum and art gallery called Astley Hall Museum and Art Gallery. The large gardens around it are known as Chorley's Astley Park, a popular place for everyone to enjoy.
Contents
Discovering Astley Hall's History
Astley Hall has a long and interesting past. It was first built around 1575–1600 by the Charnock family. They bought the land from the Knights of St John of Jerusalem. The original house was made of wood and built around a small courtyard.
Changes Over the Years
In 1665, Margaret Charnock married Richard Brooke. They added the impressive front part of the house. This section is made of brick and has huge windows. The doorway has unique columns that look a bit rustic.
Inside, you can see amazing plasterwork from the mid-1600s. The ceilings in the Great Hall and drawing room have designs with heavy wreaths and playful cherubs. Some parts of the decorations are even made from lead and leather! The staircase from the same time has cool carvings of leaves and flowers.
The lower walls of the hall are covered with wooden panels. These panels have paintings of important people from history. You can see famous figures like Queen Elizabeth I and explorers like Christopher Columbus. There are even paintings of Muslim rulers. This part of the house might be older, from the time of Thomas Charnock, who passed away in 1648.
On the top floor, there's a very long room called the long gallery. It has a special table for a game called shovelboard, which is about 7 meters long!
Later Additions and Owners
Around 1710, a painting of the house showed small tower-like structures in the front courtyard. Later, the Brooke family line ended. The house then went to Robert Townley Parker. In 1825, he added the south wing. He also covered the outside of the house with stucco, which is a type of plaster. The dining room in this newer wing has old wooden panels from the 1500s that were brought from another place.
In 1922, Reginald Tatton gave Astley Hall and everything inside it to Chorley Corporation. This was a special gift to remember the local men who died in World War I. Since then, it has been a museum for everyone to visit.
The museum has beautiful old oak furniture, tapestries from Flanders, and wooden panels. There's a story that Oliver Cromwell stayed at the hall during the Battle of Preston in the 1600s. People say he left his boots behind! While the boots might not be his, it's still possible he visited the hall.
The park around Astley Hall has a small lake and a winding stream. It was designed by John Webb.
Recent Renovations and Events
The park, Coach House, and walled garden were recently updated. This big project finished in 2022. They restored an old ditch called a ha-ha, cleaned the lake, and renovated the Coach House. The Coach House now has a new art gallery and a meeting room upstairs. Downstairs, you'll find a café and a gift shop.
In 2021, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, chose Astley Hall for an important meeting. It was the G7 Speakers' Meeting.
Who Owned Astley Hall?
Over the centuries, Astley Hall has been home to several families. Here are some of its past owners:
- Robert Charnock (until 1616)
- Richard Charnock MP (1616–1648/53)
- Margaret Charnock, wife of Richard Brooke (1648/53–1715)
- Peter Brooke, son (1715–1721)
- Thomas Brooke, brother (1721–1734)
- Richard Brooke, son (1734–1748)
- Peter Brooke, brother (1748–1786)
- Peter Brooke, son (1786–1787)
- Susannah Brooke, sister, wife of Thomas Townley Parker (1787–?)
- Robert Townley Parker, son (?–1879)
- Thomas Townley Parker, son (1879–1906)
- Reginald Arthur Tatton, nephew (1906–1922)
- Borough of Chorley (1922–present)
Visiting Astley Hall Today
Today, Astley Hall is owned and managed by Chorley Council. It works as a museum and is open to the public on weekends. You can also rent it for special events. There's a small fee to enter, which helps keep the hall running.
In September 2021, Astley Hall hosted the G7 Conference. Important leaders from around the world attended. These included Nancy Pelosi from the US, and representatives from France, Italy, Germany, Canada, and Japan. They discussed important topics about parliaments.
Restoring Astley Hall's Look
In 2020, a big project started to restore Astley Hall. Workers began removing the plaster (render) that covered the building. This helped bring back the original look of the 17th-century brickwork. The restoration cost about £1.1 million. It covered both the outside of the building and parts of the inside. Astley Hall reopened on May 21, 2022, after all the work was finished.
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Astley Hall before its big restoration.
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Astley Hall after the restoration in 2022.
Images for kids
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The Stucco Room, with its amazing plasterwork.
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The Cromwell Room, named after the famous story.
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The Oak Bedroom, featuring beautiful wooden furniture.
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The Long Gallery, a very long room for games and walking.
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The Ante Room, a smaller room often used before a main one.
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The Inlaid Room, with its special wooden panels.
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The Dining Room, where meals were once served.
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The Courtyard, an open space inside the house.
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The Kitchen, where food was prepared.
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The Morning Room, a bright room for daytime activities.
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The Great Hall, a grand entrance and gathering space.
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The Drawing Room, a comfortable space for relaxing.
See also
- Listed buildings in Chorley
