Huntroyde Hall is a grade II listed, 16th-century house in the civil parish of Simonstone in the Borough of

Ribble Valley Ribble Valley is a local government district with borough status within the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. The total population of the non-metropolitan district at the 2011 Census was 57,132. Its council is based in Clitheroe. ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

, England. Its estate, Huntroyde

Demesne A demesne ( ) or domain was all the land retained and managed by a lord of the manor under the feudal system for his own use, occupation, or support. This distinguished it from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants. The concept or ...

(known locally as 'Huntroyde'), once extended to over 6,500 acres. Huntroyde Hall is reputed to stand on the site of a hunting lodge once owned by John O' Gaunt. The Huntroyde Hall Estate came to the Starkie family by marriage in circa.1464. The first recorded house was constructed on an H-shaped plan in 1576 for the Starkie family and re-built in the Georgian style in the mid-19th century. Wings added to the west side in 1777 and 1850 have since been demolished. The remaining part of the house was re-faced in

ashlar Ashlar () is finely dressed (cut, worked) stone, either an individual stone that has been worked until squared, or a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, generally rectangular cuboid, mentioned by Vitruv ...

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

in 1885. Huntroyde Hall features a Grade II listed Ha-Ha, one of the longest in the North of England.

History

Huntroyde Hall

A hall was built for Edmund Starkie in 1576. It is thought to have been of a typical design for the period, approximately wide and of two storeys with a central hall, and

mullioned windows A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid supp ...

. Wings at both ends projected at the front and rear. The central hall was about by with entrances at either end of a passageway at its western side. In 1631 a gatehouse was constructed aligned to the northern entrance, and a full width walled courtyard about deep was created. A plan from 1777 shows further alterations. An extension was built along the eastern side and the courtyard had a stable block and other outbuildings. The northwest projection had been widened to incorporate a staircase in the hall and a new south-facing entrance in the north-west corner. The old south entrance was replaced by a window and a larger doorway into the hall was located centrally. The plan documents the major building program commenced for Le Gendre Starkie (c.1735–1792). In 1777 a wing was constructed extending west from the south-west corner of the building. It was constructed in the

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

style in

with

sash windows A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels, or "sashes". The individual sashes are traditionally paned windows, but can now contain an individual sheet (or sheets, in the case of double glazing) of glass. History T ...

and a

hipped roof A hip roof, hip-roof or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope (although a tented roof by definition is a hipped roof with steeply pitched slopes rising to a peak). Thus, ...

. Alterations were made to the west end of the old hall to connect it to the new. Around 1789 the old outbuildings were replaced with a servants' wing, fully enclosing that side of the courtyard. The exterior was given ornamental

battlements A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interva ...

and sash windows replacements. In early 19th century images of the hall is another wing extending west from the 1777 extension. It mirrors the old hall and added balance when viewed from the south. This wing was replaced in 1850. The new building contained a library, entrance hall supported by marble pillars and a

smoking room A smoking room (or smoking lounge) is a room which is specifically provided and furnished for smoking, generally in buildings where smoking is otherwise prohibited. Locations and facilities Smoking rooms can be found in public buildings such ...

. In 1879 a range of stores and offices was erected to the north side of the old courtyard, incorporating a 2nd gatehouse to the south. Between 1885 and 1888, the old building underwent further restoration, the front was refaced in ashlar, the sash windows replaced with larger mullions. The north side was largely rebuilt including a first floor

billiards Cue sports are a wide variety of games of skill played with a cue, which is used to strike billiard balls and thereby cause them to move around a cloth-covered table bounded by elastic bumpers known as . There are three major subdivisions of ...

room. The house was partially demolished in 1969 and 1970 to reduce it to a more manageable size and was sold in 1983. The estate is private but corporate events such as simulated game shooting and clay pigeon shooting are held in the grounds. The estate is fragmented by

public footpath A footpath (also pedestrian way, walking trail, nature trail) is a type of thoroughfare that is intended for use only by pedestrians and not other forms of traffic such as motorized vehicles, bicycles and horses. They can be found in a wide ...

s, roads and farms. The

gatehouse A gatehouse is a type of fortified gateway, an entry control point building, enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a town, religious house, castle, manor house, or other fortification building of importance. Gatehouses are typically the mos ...

or lodge to the hall, known as Arbory Hall, is in Arbory Drive, Padiham near the cricket field.Lancashire Telegraph 20 November 2008 on the gatehouse
It was built in 1790 and is now a private residence.

Starkie Family

In 1465, Edmund Starkie of Barnton near

Northwich {{Infobox UK place , static_image_name = Northwich - Town Bridge.jpg , static_image_caption = Town Bridge, the River Weaver and the spire of Holy Trinity Church , official_name = Northwich , country ...

in Cheshire married Elizabeth de Simonstone the heiress of the land at Huntroyde. In 1578 Nicholas Starkie (born c.1566), son and heir of Edmund, the builder of Huntroyde married Anne Parr, the heiress of estates at Kempnough in

Worsley Worsley () is a village in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England, which in 2014 had a population of 10,090. It lies along Worsley Brook, west of Manchester. Within the boundaries of the Historic counties of England, historic county ...

and Cleworth Hall in

Tyldesley Tyldesley () is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, it is north of Chat Moss near the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, southeast of Wigan ...

that in 1596 was associated with

witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...

. His son John (1584–1665) inherited the estate in 1618 and went on to become one of the Chief Justices of the Peace in Lancashire and Sheriff of Lancaster. His eldest son Nicholas, a captain in the Parliamentary army, inherited but was killed in 1643 by the gunpowder explosion at the siege of

Hoghton Tower Hoghton Tower is a fortified manor house east of the village of Hoghton, Lancashire, England, and standing on a hilltop site on the highest point in the area. It takes its name from the de Hoghton family, its historical owners since at le ...

. In 1651 an estate was purchased at

Kearsley Kearsley ( ) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. The population at the 2011 census was 14,212. Historically part of Lancashire, it lies northwest of Manchester, southwest of Bury and south of Bolt ...

, south of Bolton. Nicholas' son John was

High Sheriff of Lancashire The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient officer, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales. The High Sheriff of Lanca ...

in 1656 and died in 1676. He had married Alice Norris in 1654 and through her inherited

Hall i' th' Wood Hall i' th' Wood is an early 16th-century manor house in Bolton in the historic county of Lancashire and the ceremonial county of Greater Manchester, England. It is a Grade I listed building and is currently used as a museum by Bolton Metropo ...

in Bolton. The estate passed to John's son John and then to John jnr's son Piers. Piers expanded the family's landholdings further with the estates of Rogerstead in the Heaton area of Bolton (1726), Shuttleworth in Hapton (1734), Snydale,

Westhoughton Westhoughton ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, southwest of Bolton, east of Wigan and northwest of Manchester.Pendleton, Sunderland, Balderstone (1756), Lovely,

Salesbury Salesbury is a village and civil parish in Ribble Valley, located centrally in the county of Lancashire, England. The B6245 road runs straight through the village providing transport links to towns such as Blackburn, Preston and Burnley. Sales ...

(1757), and (Great) Mearley in

Mearley Mearley is a civil parish in Lancashire, England. The parish is north-west of Pendle Hill, east of Clitheroe, and is in the Ribble Valley district. It is a small parish with no villages or hamlets and a population of 25, the second smallest in ...

(1758). However he died childless in 1760 and left the estate to his cousin's son Le Gendre Starkie (c.1735–1792), after which is passed to Le Gendre's son, Le Gendre Piers Starkie (1760–1807), who was High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1806. The Starkie's were major landowners in Heyhouses (now part of

Sabden Sabden is a village and civil parish in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England. Sabden is located south of Pendle Hill, in a valley about three miles north west of Padiham. The parish covers , of which is occupied by the village. It lies in the ...

) from at least 1787 and in 1801 Le Gendre Piers Starkie purchased the remaining portion. Over Pendleton Moor, Little Pendleton was purchased in 1807 and Wymondhouses in two lots in 1809 and 1811. Both these estates neighbour Coldcoats. The estate was then inherited by the latter's son Le Gendre Starkie (1790–1822), High Sheriff in 1815 and after his early death by his younger brother Le Gendre Nicholas Starkie (1799–1865), Member of Parliament for

Pontefract Pontefract is a historic market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England, east of Wakefield and south of Castleford. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is one of the towns in the City of Wake ...

from 1826 to 1832 and a prominent

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

, being Provincial Grand Master for the Western Division of Lancashire. His son, Le Gendre Nicholas Starkie (1828–1899), was High Sheriff in 1868 and MP for

Clitheroe Clitheroe () is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England; it is located north-west of Manchester. It is near the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists visiting the area. In 2018, the Cl ...

from 1853 to 1856. Also a prominent Freemason, he was Provincial Grand Master for the Eastern Division of Lancashire from 1870 to 1899.The History of the Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire
/ref> In 1876 Kempnough Hall was sold to the Bridgewater Trustees. Rogerstead was sold to the Bolton Corporation in 1879, becoming one of the town's cemeteries. Hall i' th' Wood was sold in 1899, becoming a museum. He left the estate to his son Edmund Arthur Le Gendre Starkie (1871–1958). Edmund served as Captain in the

Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...

and was a local promoter of the Red Cross and St John's Ambulance Brigade and by 1914 had developed parts of the Huntroyde grounds into a major tree plantation. He allowed Huntroyd to be used as a hospital for convalescent soldiers during the First World War. After Edmund's death in 1958, the estate passed to his nephew, Guy Le Gendre Starkie (1909–1985).

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

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External links

England's lost country houses
* * * * * {{Borough of Burnley buildings Buildings and structures in Burnley Buildings and structures in Ribble Valley Grade II listed buildings in Lancashire Country houses in Lancashire History of Lancashire Demolished buildings and structures in England