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Martholme is a grade I listed medieval manor house standing on the banks of the River Calder from Great Harwood, Lancashire, England and north-east of Blackburn.
Martholme is constructed, to a T-shaped floor plan, of sandstone rubble, now rendered, with a slate roof. It was originally surrounded by a
History
In the 13th century, the house belonged to the de Fitton family. It was passed through marriage to the Hesketh family. Parts of the current building date from Medieval times. Additions and alterations took place in 1561, when the gatehouse was rebuilt and 1607. The house was rebuilt in 1577 by Thomas Hesketh (d. 1588),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 ...
for 1563. He added an east wing and a gatehouse. Later work was carried out during the time of his son Robert Hesketh
Robert Hesketh (c. 22 September 1569 – 7 November 1620) was an English MP and High Sheriff.
He was born at Whalley, Lancashire, the eldest son of Sir Thomas Hesketh of Rufford and Great Harwood, Lancashire of the old and well-known Lancashire ...
(d. 1620), High Sheriff in 1599 and MP for Lancashire in 1597, who added a second arched gateway. After his death his last wife Jane married Sir Richard de Hoghton and left Martholme to be leased out to tenant farmers. With the death of Jane ownership passed to her son Thomas but the Heskeths never reoccupied the house itself.
After the Civil War the Hesketh family, as Catholics, were heavily fined, losing much of their land at Great Harwood. As a result, Martholme was neglected. It is now a private residence but much of the house has been demolished. It has been designated a Grade I listed building by English Heritage.
Architecture
Martholme is constructed, to a T-shaped floor plan, of sandstone rubble, now rendered, with a slate roof. It was originally surrounded by a moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive ...
, of which there are still traces.
The 16th-century gatehouse is about south of the house. It too is built of sandstone, with slate roofs. It is rectangular and measures approximately by . The entrance is a round stone archway. The building has three bay
A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...
s and is on two storeys.
English Heritage designated the house a Grade I listed building on 11 July 1966. The Grade I designation—the highest of the three grades—is for buildings "of exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally important". The gatehouse has received a separate Grade II* designation.
See also
*Grade I listed buildings in Lancashire
This is a list of Grade I listed buildings in Lancashire, England.
In the United Kingdom, the term "listed building" refers to a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural, historical or cultural signifi ...
*Listed buildings in Great Harwood
Great Harwood is a town in Hyndburn, Lancashire, England. It contains 16 buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as designated listed buildings. Of these, one is listed at Grade I, the highest grade, four are ...
References
;Footnotes ;Bibliography * *Further reading
* {{Borough of Hyndburn buildings Buildings and structures in Hyndburn Country houses in Lancashire Grade I listed buildings in Lancashire Grade I listed houses Great Harwood