Samlesbury Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Samlesbury Hall |
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| General information | |
| Location | Samlesbury, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 53°46′10″N 2°34′22″W / 53.7695°N 2.5727°W |
| Completed | 1325 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Gilbert de Southworth |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Designated: | 25 July 1952 |
| Reference #: | 1361389 |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: Lodge to Samlesbury Hall | |
| Designated: | 27 February 1984 |
| Reference #: | 1074096 |
Samlesbury Hall is a very old and special house in Samlesbury, Lancashire, England. It is about 6 miles (10 km) east of Preston. Gilbert de Southworth built it in 1325. For many years, it was the main home for the Southworth family.
This historic hall might have been built after an older building was destroyed. This happened during a big attack by the Scots in 1322. Over time, Samlesbury Hall has been used for many different things. It was once a public house (like a pub) and even a school for girls.
In 1925, the hall was almost taken apart for its wood. Luckily, it was saved! Since then, a special group called the Samlesbury Hall Trust has looked after it. This group is a charity. Samlesbury Hall is a Grade I listed medieval manor house. This means it is a very important historical building. More than 50,000 people visit it every year.
You can visit Samlesbury Hall almost every day. It is closed only on Saturdays.
Contents
Exploring Samlesbury Hall's Past
Before the Southworth family owned Samlesbury Hall, the d'Ewyas family lived there.
Gilbert de Southworth from Warrington became part owner of the manor. He married Alice d'Ewyas and is known for building the Great Hall around 1325. Later, his great-grandson, Thomas, added the south-west wing. The Southworth family kept their part of the manor until 1677–78. Then, Edward Southworth sold it to Thomas Bradyll.
Thomas Bradyll never lived at the hall. Instead, he took many parts from inside the hall to use at his own home, Conishead Priory. After that, he rented the hall to people who made cloth by hand. In 1830, it became an inn called the Bradyll Arms.
The next owner was John Cooper, who bought the building in 1850. He rented it to Mrs. Mary Ann Harrison. She started a school there for both boys and girls. This school was based on the ideas of an old Swiss teacher named Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi. Her school was very modern for its time. It was even similar to the Montessori system, which became famous much later.
Changes and New Owners
Joseph Harrison, a rich factory owner from Blackburn, bought the hall in November 1862. He made many big improvements to the building. His oldest son, William Harrison, lived at the hall until he passed away in 1879. William had an accident on the ice that year, which made him very unwell.
Joseph Harrison, William's father, passed away the next year in 1880. After that, the hall went to Joseph's youngest son, Henry. Henry lived in Blackburn and was the mayor of Blackburn in 1880–81. He was also given a special honor for his work in the town.
Even though the Harrisons still owned the hall, a family named Baynes lived there for many years. Frederick Baynes, who also became a mayor of Blackburn, lived there with his family. When Henry Harrison passed away in 1914, the hall was passed down to his nephew, Mr. M. J. C. Johnston.
The hall was empty from 1909 until 1924. Then, a building company bought it. They planned to tear it down and build new houses. But people raised money to save the hall! In 1925, it was bought and given to the Samlesbury Hall Trust. This trust has been taking care of the hall ever since.
The Design of Samlesbury Hall
When Samlesbury Hall was first built, its main windows faced east. This was a common way to build houses back then. About 140 years later, a chapel was added. It was also built to face east.
When the chapel was connected to the main hall 60 years after that, the angle was a bit off. This was because the sun's position changes slightly over many years. The Southworth family built the chapel to make the house a true manor house. A manor house needed to have a large household, a chapel with a priest, a place to store fish, usually a pond, a water mill, and a grain storage area.
So, Samlesbury Hall shows us how buildings were designed and how people's religious beliefs changed from the 1300s up to today.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Lancashire
- Listed buildings in Samlesbury
- Samlesbury witches – a story about a trial for witchcraft
- John Southworth – a member of the Southworth family who was executed for his Catholic faith
- Bluebird K7 – a very fast boat that set world records, built in Samlesbury
