Description

SD 51 NE CHORLEY ASTLEY PARK

5/24 Astley Hall
21.12.1966 (Formerly listed under General)
GV I

Manor house, C16 and C17 with early C19 addition; repaired and restored
from 1949. Part timber-framed on stone plinth, part brick with stone
dressings (now rendered). The earlier building is a courtyard house of
arch-braced box-frame construction, of which the north and west ranges
survive, while the 2-storey great hall in the south range was rebuilt
and refronted in brick with stone dressings, in Renaissance style, at an
uncertain date in C17 (Rigold: c.1630; Pevsner: part 1653; Hussey: 1666);
and decorated in very elaborate baroque style in later C17. South front
is 3 storeys;entrance, offset to the left, is flanked by 2 very prominent
5-sided bays which rise to full height and are glazed on all sides from
the plinth through the first 2 storeys; segmental-headed stone doorway
has on each side coupled columns with vernacular versions of Ionic
capitals and a dentilled entablature to each pair bearing a couchant
lion (said to be ex situ); above these are mullioned and transomed
windows, which match those of the bays and fill the wall to the same
height. Right of the right bay the ground floor has a 10-light
mullioned and transomed window with a king mullion, and a cross window,
and the 1st floor has smaller mullioned windows similarly disposed.
The whole length of the 2nd floor is a long gallery (possibly a later
addition?) which has an unbroken band of mullioned and transomed
windows continued round the corners to the return walls; the parapet
wall above this, which bears 5 blank roundels, is surmounted by a
balustrade. The rear (courtyard side) of this range, (2 storeys
only) has 2 gables, one of box frame construction on a high stone
plinth, the other of brick (on a stone plinth of different masonry)
abutting it with roof overlapping; the former has a 1st floor oriel
with carved sill, the latter has a large stairlight. West and north
ranges are box-framed on stone plinth, 2 storeys, the courtyard side
of the former having two 1st floor oriels with carved sills, one
dated 1600; in the angle a stair turret open at ground floor; in
north range an entrance passage through a bay open at ground floor.
Outer wall of west range (which incorporates kitchen) is timber-
framed except for very large external chimney stack of brick, outer
wall of north range is brick. Contiguous at the north-east corner
of the present hall is a smaller building, said to be the original
manor house, much altered and restored, apparently in C19, but
incorporating some C16 beams.
Interior: original features of late C16 house include kitchen
fireplace with wide segmental stone arch, and ¼-round moulded
beams in north, west, and rear part of south ranges. Features
of outstanding interest are principally the moulded plaster
decorations of the hall and drawing room in the south range
probably Flemish or French work of the later C17: in the hall,
a deep frieze, and round and oval cartouches in the coffered
panels of the ceiling, heavily foliated and deeply undercut,
include swags, putti, cherubs etc. in the drawing room ceiling,
fronds, pendant garlands, scallops, cherubs etc; also hall
wainscot of pilasters and arched panels painted with figures of
famous historical characters up to c1630 (possibly ex situ);
unusual late C17 staircase consisting of a single straight
flight of diminishing risers, with a pierced leaf scroll
balustrade; and C17 panelling, plaster moulding, fireplaces
and overmantels in morning room of ground floor and in bedchambers
of 1st floor of west range. Some panelling may be ex-situ; house
was subject to some C19 restoration, of currently uncertain extent.

(References: Pevsner; VCH; S.E. Rigold: Archaeological Journal 1970;
C. Hussey: Country Life 1922).

Listing NGR: SD5745918304

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Astley Hall at Wikipedia
• Astley Hall official website
• Wikidata Q4810914

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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