A HISTORY OF LAXCASHIRE 



h»ll stands about three-quarters of a mile to the 

 east, and is a fine bricic mansion of three stories 

 with gables and mullioned windows, having a front 

 elevation facing south of about 86 ft. It is now 

 used as a farm-house. The building belongs to the 

 middle of the 1 7th century, and is constructed of 

 small red bricks, var)ing in size from 2 in. to 2 J in., 

 with blue diaper patterns similar to other work of 

 the same period in the district.' A spout head on 

 the front of the house bears the date 1670 and 

 the initials of Alexander iMawdesley, but whether 

 this is the date of erection or merely of some later 

 work is uncertain. The plan follows to some 

 extent the usual arrangement of an earlier date, of 

 the central hall with projecting end wings, and the 

 principal elevation is one of much picturesqueness 

 and not a little dignity, being well broken up by 

 bay windows. The regularity of the design is some- 

 what lost by the bay window of the hall being 



Scale Of B2Jr 



ii_* 



Plan of Heskin Hm.l 



placed out of the centre, and by the porch, which is 

 in the angle of the east wing and the hall, being 

 carried up two stories with a small gable over, 

 though a certain bahnce is given to the elevation at 

 this end by another small gable at the other side of 

 the east wing. The brickwork has weathered a 

 charming colour, but the roofs have been covered at 

 a later period with green slates. There is a north- 

 east wing about ;o ft. in length, containing the 

 offices and kitchen, externally more severe m 

 .ippearance than the front, with three regularly 



spaced and equal gables facing est on the top floor. 

 From the north-west this wing, however, is very 

 picturesque in appearance, and is a vcr\- excellent 

 example of domestic brick architecture. The group- 

 ing of the octagonal staircase, which is corbelled out 

 to a gable at the top, with two well-designed stacks 

 of chimneys, is very effective. There is a similar 

 staircase turret finishing in a corbelled gable at the 

 end of the principal front facing east. At a later 

 date, probably in the early part of the last centur>', 

 a considerable change was made at the back of the 

 house by the addition or rebuilding of a large 

 dining-room and staircase.* These additions, which 

 are of two stories, are built with modern bricks, 

 and are architecturally uninteresting ; but, not 

 being seen from the front, detract little from the 

 general appearance of the building. The interior 

 has been a good deal modernized in the hut century, 

 but retains some features of interest. The hall is 

 34 ft. 6 in. long by 20 ft. 

 in breadth, and hasa flagged 

 floor. The porch is in the 

 south-east corner, and the 

 bay window 5 ft. from the 

 west end, the space be- 

 tween them being occupied 

 by a four-light mullioned 

 window, the sill of which 

 is 7 ft. from the floor. 

 The original oak nail- 

 studded door with heavy 

 ring knocker remains in 

 the porch, the doorway 

 itself having a low four- 

 centred arch. The ceiling, 

 which is I 2 ft. 6 in. high, 

 is plain, and, together with 

 the fireplace and fittings 

 generally, is modern. The 

 drawing-room in the west 

 wing is panelled its full 

 height all round with good 

 Renaissance oak wainscot, 

 the walls being divided into 

 bays by fluted Ionic pila- 

 sters with architrave, inlaid 

 frieze and shallow cornice, 

 the whole on a surbase 

 3 ft. 9 in. high. Between 

 the pilasters the panels are 

 elaborately treated with inlay and strap-work, but 

 belo'.v they arc plain. The fireplace is of stone, but 

 has been painted, and the panelling above ' has 

 been removed and portions of plain chamfered and 

 moulded wainscot inserted. The large bay window 

 may be later than the room itself, but the three- 

 light mullioned window on the west side is original. 

 The other rooms are uninteresting, being almost 

 wholly modernized. In a bedroom over the hall, 

 however, there is some old oak wainscot on one 

 of the walls. The spiral octagon stair at the east 



other issue) a daughter Maria Elizabeth, 

 who married John Ahmuty of Grenada, 

 and whose daughters were two of the 

 defendants at the trial ; the Rev, William 

 Micheli (bora 1830) is son of the 

 vou.i^cr. The other defendant was the 

 son of John an J An; e Hargra\e ; he had 



a son James Augustine Hargravc of 

 Port Mahon, Minorca, whose children 

 married Spaniards. Their lands were 

 sold about fifty years ago. 



' e.g. at Banic Hall, RufFord Old Hall, 

 Carr House and Hoo'.c Church. 



' The lower part of the wall on the 



168 



north side is built of old 2-in. bricks, sug- 

 gesting there may have been a building 

 here before. Some old material*, how- 

 ever, may simply have been used in a 

 new addition. 



^ There may have been a picture in 

 the wainscot over the fireplace. 



