Winstanley Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Winstanley Hall |
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Winstanley Hall in 2006
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| 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 |
| Completed | 1560s |
| Client | Winstanley family |
Winstanley Hall is a very old house from the late 1500s. It is located in Winstanley, which is part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester. This historic building is recognized as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and also a Grade II* listed building.
The Winstanley family first built the hall. It is special because it is one of only three buildings in the entire Borough that was built in the Tudor style.
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Discovering Winstanley Hall's Past
The Winstanley family built this large house around the 1560s. They were important landowners in the Winstanley area since at least the year 1252. It's even possible they were the ones who built the moat around the hall.
The Winstanleys owned the hall until 1596. Then, they sold the estate to James Bankes. He was a successful goldsmith and banker from London.
How the Hall Changed Over Time
Winstanley Hall has three floors. There is a stone with the date 1584 on it, but this stone might not be in its original spot. So, it might not tell us the exact year the house was finished.
Over the years, more parts were added to the hall. New sections were built in the 1600s and 1700s. Major changes happened between 1811 and 1819. An architect named Lewis Wyatt redesigned parts of the hall in a Jacobean style. He moved the main entrance to a different side of the house. He also replaced the old entrance with a window.
The last additions to the hall were made in 1843. This is when an extra wing was built. South of the hall, on its land, there was a small stone building. This building was used to keep bears. These bears would entertain guests at the hall. The Winstanley family also owned another large estate called Braunstone Hall in Leicestershire.
Who Owned the Hall?
The Bankes family kept ownership of Winstanley Hall for a very long time. They owned it until the 2000s. At that point, it was sold to a private company for development.
The hall was kept in good condition until the 1960s. That's when the Bankes family moved out. The last time anyone lived in the hall was in the 1980s. As the building started to decay, it became too expensive for the family to maintain. So, in the year 2000, they sold the hall along with 10 acres of land.
It has been said that the new owner wanted to turn the hall into private apartments. There were reports that work was delayed because of problems getting planning permission. However, it has also been reported that no application for planning permission was ever submitted.
Current Condition of Winstanley Hall
Today, the inside of Winstanley Hall is in some disrepair. Historic England, a group that protects historical places, has listed the hall on its Heritage at Risk register. In 2019, they said the hall was in very bad condition. They also noted it was in the highest category of risk for getting even worse.
Visiting Winstanley Hall
Currently, Dorbcrest Homes owns and controls Winstanley Hall.
