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The Towneleys of Towneley are one of the oldest families in 

 Lancashire. The family has always been Eoman Catholic, and 

 its representative in the time of Queen Ehzaheth underwent 

 heavy penalties for recusancy. The Towneley pedigree contains 

 many illustrious names, the best known being that of Charles 

 Towneley, F.E.S., F.S.A., who died in 1805, and was the 

 collector of the Towneley Marbles now in the British Museum, 

 His cousin, Peregrine Edward Towneley, F.R.8., inherited the 

 estates. He was High Sheriff of Lancashire, and died in 1846. 

 He was succeeded by his son, Chas. Towneley, F.E.S., Col. of 

 the 5th Lancashire Militia, who died in 1876, leaving three 

 daughters. The eldest married Viscount Norreys, and died in 

 1873 ; the second is the wife of Lord Lennox ; and the third 

 married Lord O'Hagan, who died in 1886. Lady O'Hagan now 

 resides at the Hall. 



Gawthorpe Hall. 

 It is the residence of the Shuttleworths, and was chiefly built 

 about the year 1600, at the end of the reign of Queen Ehzaheth, 

 and is in the stately architecture of that period. It has its 

 principal door with circular head in a square bay projecting 

 from the centre of the building, with two tiers of five-hght 

 windows over and flanked on each side with polygonal bay wm- 

 dows in three tiers. The whole of the front is deeply and 

 boldly moulded, and all the windows have mullions and tran- 

 soms. The opposite side, towards the valley, has the stern and 

 bare simplicity of the old border peel, built for defensive purposes. 

 The other with its windows in irregular positions varied with 

 quaint oriels produce a most picturesque effect, while the central 

 watch tower gives unity to the whole. Sir Charles Barry restored 

 the building in 1849, and his biographer says " all he thought 

 needful was to give importance to the tower and chimneys by 

 raising them so as to produce greater boldness in the sky hne 

 and to surround the building with a parapet of the characteristic 

 Ehzabethan style." The great hall (now the dining room) is 

 a very fine one, being 35 feet 9 inches long, and 20 feet 8 

 inches wide. It has a flat ceihng, with passage, screens and 

 minstrels' gallery over. The fine ingle nook is in the middle of 

 one side, and opposite is the square bay, the only example in 

 this district. The high table is in the usual place, opposite 

 the passage, and it has a raised dais with a fine seven-hght 

 window far up in the waU above it, thoroughly lighting the apart- 

 ment without dazzling the eyes. To the front of the house on 

 the fourth floor is a gallery, 25 yards long, with elaborate plaster 

 ceUing bearing date 1603, and was probably intended as portrait 

 gallery and dancing room. The gardens are arranged in stiff 

 geometric patterns as was customary in Ehzabethan times. 



