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OLD HALLS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF 

 BURNLEY. 



By THOMAS BELL. March 29th, 1887. 



The district around Burnley is peculiarly rich in " Old Halls." 

 The unprecedented development of the town within the last 

 twenty years as a great commercial centre together with the 

 altered circumstances of life is changing even the physical aspect 

 of the country and rapidly removing the old land marks. 



The old Houses near the Parish Church, dated 1655, have 

 been pulled down for street improvements. The " Old Sparrow 

 Hawk Inn " adjoining will doubtless share the same fate. The old 

 Market Cross, the Stocks at its foot, and the Cross of Paulinus, 

 have been removed to a new and safer position near the Grammar 

 School. The old Hall popularly called " Danes House," which 

 a few years ago was in the midst of green fields in the outskirts 

 of the town, was gradually encircled by cottages, where it stood 

 for a time, shewing a startling contrast between the old and the 

 new, not at all in favour of the latter, and then it gave place, 

 because it did not come up to the first of modern requirements, 

 and pay over 5 per cent, interest. 



The " Old Lodge" off Byerden Lane, a fine old Elizabethan 

 Hall, fit residence for a yeoman of the 17th century was not 

 considered suitable for a farmer of the 19th, and so it was taken 

 down and a new house erected adjoining — the only portions 

 retained being the old circular-headed doorcase in the new porch, 

 and the staircase window above it, which is a medley composed of 

 various parts of the old windows terminated wth the characteristic 

 gable head. It is much to be regretted that this fine architectural 

 relic with so many characteristic features of a past age could not 

 have been preserved. 



The " Old Hall " at Worsthorne of somewhat similar age and 

 character to the " Old Lodge " is rapidly going to ruin and decay, 

 and is now used as a slaughter-house and stable. The Club 

 would be doing good work if they would follow in the footsteps 

 of the French Antiquities, or our own Historic Buildings Preser- 

 vation Society, and use their influence to get the hall repaired 

 so as to be a memorial in this too flimsy and utilitarian age of 

 the methods employed in times gone by. 



" Shuttleworth Hall," near Hapton, is in danger of being 

 taken down and, in the course of a few years many other of these 

 interesting relics will doubtless have pased away. 



As far as I know there is no detailed description and compari- 

 son of these buildings in existence, and as they are so full of 



