Leighton Hall, Lancashire
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox historic site | name = Leighton Hall| native_name = | image = Leighton_Hall,_March_2016.jpg| image_size = 250| caption = View of Leighton Hall | locmapin = United Kingdom City of Lancaster | map_width = | map_caption = Location in the City of Lancaster district
| coordinates = {{coord|54.1630|-2.7758|display=inline,title|region:GB_type:landmark}}
| location = Yealand Conyers, Lancashire, England | area = | elevation = {{convert|200|ft|m|0}}| formed = | founded = | built = 1759–61| built_for = | demolished = | rebuilt = | restored = 1870| restored_by = | architect = John Hird
Paley and Austin| architecture = Georgian, Gothic Revival| visitation_num = | visitation_year = | governing_body = | designation1 = Grade II*| designation1_offname = Leighton Hall and Stable Block| designation1_type = | designation1_criteria = | designation1_date = 2 May 1968| delisted1_date =| designation1_parent = | designation1_number = | designation1_free1name = | designation1_free1value = | designation1_free2name = | designation1_free2value = | designation1_free3name = | designation1_free3value = | designation2 = | designation2_offname = | designation2_type = | designation2_criteria = | designation2_date = | delisted2_date = | designation2_parent = | designation2_number = | designation2_free1name = | designation2_free1value = | designation2_free2name = | designation2_free2value = | designation2_free3name = | designation2_free3value = }}
Leighton Hall is a historic house {{convert|0.5|mi|km|0}} to the west of Yealand Conyers, Lancashire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.{{NHLE |num= 1071836|desc= Leighton Hall, Yealand Conyers|accessdate= 16 June 2012|mode=cs2}}
History
It was the seat of the 1642–1673 Middleton Baronetcy of Sir George Middleton, who was High Sheriff of Lancashire for 1661. He was succeeded by his grandson, George Middleton Oldfield, who died at the hall in 1708. It then passed to his son-in-law Albert Hodgson, who had married Oldfield's daughter Dorothy. Hodgson became involved in the Jacobite rising of 1715, during which he was taken prisoner, and the house burnt with Hodgson's possessions confiscated. When the hall was sold at public auction in 1722 it was bought by a friend, a Mr Winkley from Preston, who allowed Hodgson to live in the partly ruined house after his eventual release from prison. The estate then came into the possession of wealthy George Towneley of Towneley Hall in Burnley, through his marriage to Hodgson's daughter Mary in the 1750s.{{cite web| url= http://www.leightonhall.co.uk/page/93/History.htm| title= The History of Leighton Hall| access-date = 17 January 2013}}
The present house was built for Towneley in 1759–61 in Georgian style to a design by John Hird, and the woods replanted and park laid out in 1763. The couple had no children, and the estate was inherited by George's nephew John, who sold it in 1805.[http://www.leightonhall.co.uk/page/93/History.htm History of Leighton Hall] Accessed 2010 In 1822 the property came into the possession of Richard Gillow, the grandson of furniture manufacturer Robert Gillow, who Gothicized the façade in 1822–25 using local white limestone.{{Citation | last =Hartwell| first =Clare| last2 = Pevsner | first2 = Nikolaus | author2-link =Nikolaus Pevsner| series= The Buildings of England| title =Lancashire: North | publisher =Yale University Press | year =2009 | orig-year=1969 | location = New Haven and London| pages = 717–718| isbn = 978-0-300-12667-9}}{{ref label|Location|A|A}} In 1870 his son, Richard Thomas Gillow, commissioned the Lancaster architects Paley and Austin to add a three-storey wing containing a billiard room below, and guest rooms above.{{Citation | last = Brandwood| first = Geoff| last2 = Austin| first2 = Tim| last3 = Hughes| first3 = John| last4 = Price| first4 = James| year = 2012| title = The Architecture of Sharpe, Paley and Austin| publication-place = Swindon| publisher = English Heritage| page = 224| isbn = 978-1-84802-049-8}}{{cite news |last1=Rouncivell |first1=Gail |title=Stately home near Carnforth wins prestigious sustainability award |url=https://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/heritage/stately-home-near-carnforth-wins-prestigious-sustainability-award-4409605 |access-date=17 November 2023 |work=Lancaster Guardian |date=14 November 2023}} Richard died in 1906, leaving the hall in a neglected condition and was succeeded by his grandson, Charles Richard Gillow, who died in 1923. Charles' widow continued to live at the hall until her own death in 1966 at the age of 96. The property then passed via her daughter Helen to her grandson, Richard Gillow Reynolds who, with his wife Susan, is the current owner.
In October 2021, the building was one of 142 sites across England to receive part of a £35-million injection into the government's Culture Recovery Fund.[https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/news/heritage-and-craft-workers-across-england-given-a-helping-hand/ "Heritage and Craft Workers Across England Given a Helping Hand"] – Historic England, 22 October 2021
The hall won the 2023 Sustainability Award of the Historic Houses Association.
The hall was featured in the 1984 ITV TV adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes story The Adventure of the Dancing Men, as Ridling Thorpe Manor.
See also
Notes
{{note label|Location|A|A}}This work has been attributed to Robert Roper.{{Citation| url = http://www.dicamillocompanion.com/houses_detail.asp?ID=1247| title = Leighton Hall, Lancashire| access-date = 21 June 2012| publisher = DiCamillo Companion| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120504064753/http://www.dicamillocompanion.com/houses_detail.asp?ID=1247| archive-date = 4 May 2012| url-status = dead}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.leightonhall.co.uk Leighton Hall – official website]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20100412042112/http://www.dicamillocompanion.com/Houses_hgpm.asp?ID=1247 The DiCamillo Companion – history]
- [https://www.imdb.com/List?locations=Leighton+Hall,+Carnforth,+Lancashire,+England,+UK IMDb – movies and TV]
{{City of Lancaster buildings}}
Category:Country houses in Lancashire
Category:Grade II* listed buildings in Lancashire
Category:Grade II* listed houses
Category:Houses completed in 1761
Category:Houses completed in 1870
Category:Georgian architecture in England
Category:Gothic Revival architecture in Lancashire
Category:Historic house museums in Lancashire
Category:Gardens in Lancashire
Category:Buildings and structures in the City of Lancaster