A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



belong the diagonal buttresses to the north-west and 

 south-east wings terminating in embattled turrets, 

 and possibly the embattled parapets, though these 

 may be of earlier date. There were further slight 

 additions in 1 7 36 and also in the middle of the last 

 century, about 184.9-50, when an addition, four 

 stories in height, forming a kind of tower, I 5 ft. by 

 30 ft., was built rather awkwardly at the outer angle 

 of the north-west wing. There is also a low two- 

 story wing on the north-west side forming out- 

 buildings and a dwelling-house over 120 ft. in length. 



The walls are constructed of roughly-coursed rubble, 

 but the porch and angle buttresses are of ashlar. The 

 older windows have mostly mullions and transoms, 

 but the later ' Gothic ' windows mullions only with 

 heavy hood moulds. The walls terminate throughout 

 in embattled parapets, behind which the hipped roofs 

 are scarcely visible. 



The principal entrance is by the porch, which is 

 of early igth-century date, into the 18th-century 



date, at which time most likely some reconstruction 

 of the plan would be necessitated at this point. 



The two large 18th-century rooms in the south- 

 east wing are of no particular interest, but the floor 

 being raised considerably above the level of the 

 ground outside allows of a basement story, in which 

 some ancient features may still be seen, the lower 

 part of a circular stone staircase being still in position 

 near the inner wall at the north end. The basement 

 is entered from the courtyard through a doorway of 

 unusual shape, the opening narrowing towards the top, 

 which is round-headed under a square hood mould. 

 This door is apparently of 16th-century date pierced 

 through the older wall and is 6 ft. high, though its 

 peculiar shape makes it appear much less. The 

 basement is also connected with the wing opposite by 

 a passage running along the front of the middle wing. 

 The upper floor of the south-east wing is now gained 

 by the 18th-century stone staircase at the east end of 

 the hall and is divided down its full length by a 





TowNELEY Hall 



hall, occupying the middle portion of the south-west 

 wing. The oak door, which stands within the porch, 

 may have been brought to jTowneley from Standish 

 Hall by Edward Standish (1805-7). It bears the 

 quartered arms of Standish and also the initials of 

 Ralph Standish. Across the door is an inscription — 



R et AHSOISTA I • TW FEC A DNI M^d'XXX 



The meaning is not clear, beyond that the door was 

 made in 1530. The hall, which is 42 ft. by 28 ft. 

 and 30 ft. in height, has a flagged floor and three 

 windows on the south side opposite the entrance, the 

 middle one forming a garden door, each flanked by 

 Ionic pilasters, a form of decoration which is con- 

 tinued round the room. There is a fireplace at each 

 end and doors leading to the staircase lobbies. The 

 pilasters support a deep entablature and carved plaster 

 ceiling with good centre ornament. Over the door 

 are the Towneley arms in a shield of eighteen pieces. 

 The staircase at the west end of the hall is of oak 

 with turned balusiers and probably of about 1628 



narrow wall, the west side to the courtyard being 

 occupied by a long gallery 84 ft. by 12 ft., lit by a 

 window at each end and by two windows to the 

 courtyard. Five small rooms open from the gallery 

 on the west side, and it is panelled in oak, now 

 varnished but apparently of 1 yth-century date, with 

 a scalloped panelled frieze and square-moulded panels 

 below. The ceiling is quite plain. 



The ground floor of the north-west wing is 4 ft. 

 below that of the hall and wing opposite, there being 

 a descent of six steps at the west end of the hall. 

 The kitchen is at the south end at the back, 

 presumably occupying its original position in the 

 mediaeval building, when it would be connected with 

 the hall by a direct passage. The original arrange- 

 ment of the hall, however, has been almost entirely 

 lost, and the floor may have been raised. The 

 kitchen, which is 1 5 ft. in height, has a flagged floor 

 and is lit by a large double transomed window of 

 five lights. It has been 29 ft. by 23 ft., but later 

 alterations have reduced its size by the introduction 



462 



