BLACKBURN HUNDRED 



MITTON (PART OF) 



The tower is of four stories, divided by entablatures 

 and with a round-headed archway flanked by coupled 

 Doric columns on the ground floors, and a mullioned 

 and transomed window of four lights on each of the 

 floors above flanked by coupled columns of the Ionic, 

 Corinthian and composite orders, the whole crowned 

 by an embattled parapet. The detail is refined 

 and ornament sparingly used ; the columns are set 

 well back from the angle and are fluted. On the 

 ground floor stage there is a middle string Unable 

 with the impost moulding of the arch and with the 

 hood moulds of the windows on either side, and the 

 spandrels of the arch are occupied by circular 

 medallions containing heads. There is no keystone 

 to the arch, but over the cornice is set the escutcheon 

 of Sir Nicholas Shireburne with helm, crest, mantling 

 and motto, the arms being those of Shireburne 

 quartering Bailey. The entrance to the quadrangle 

 is by a passage-way 1 8 ft. 3 in. wide, with an inner 

 or middle doorway, and doors on either side leading 

 to the house. The inner archway to the quadrangle 

 is flanked by octagonal staircase turrets rising above 

 the lines of the parapet and crowned with the tall 

 17th-century cupolas erected by Sir Nicholas Shire- 

 burne. From whatever point of view the building is 

 seen these cupolas now form its most distinctive 

 feature, and though differing in style from the early 

 work harmonize very well with it and materially help 

 the composition by giving it height. The first-floor 

 windows throughout both to the west and former 

 south fronts and to the quadrangle, with the excep- 

 tion of those to the great hall, are tall openings 

 divided by double transoms and of three or more 

 lights, those of the ground and second floors being 

 low and without transoms. All the windows have 

 hood moulds. 



The west wall of the south-west wing was originally 

 unpierced its full height, and was sometimes known 

 as the Blind Tower. The effect of this externally 

 on the west elevation was unusual, but some time in 

 the 1 8th century the present 14th-century pointed 

 window, which was brought from the ruins of 

 Bailey chapel in the neighbourhood, was inserted. 

 The four upper windows above were inserted in 

 modern times, the upper pair in 1888. 



To the quadrangle the old elevations are somewhat 

 similar in character to those already described. The 

 removal of the curved steps on the east side has 

 deprived the courtyard of one of its most distinctive 

 features, but the view from the entrance towards the 

 south-east corner, embracing the great bay of the 

 hall and the smaller and more elegant one to the 

 long gallery, is one of much picturesqueness. Both 

 bays go up the full height of the house, but that to 

 the long gallery appears to be of later date and 

 probably belongs to the early years of the 17th 

 century. It is very refined in detail, with pilasters 

 at the angles, and is further distinguished from the 

 rest of the buildings round the quadrangle by the 

 still later pedimented doorway inserted by Sir 

 Nicholas Shireburne and bearing his cypher. There 

 are four built-up doorways on the south side of the 

 quadrangle and a fifth, different in character and 

 referred to later, in the south-west corner. The 



lead down pipes were set up by Sir Nicholas in 1 694 

 and bear his cypher together with the eagle's and 

 unicorn's head crests, and various shields of arms on 

 the ears. 



The location of the chief apartments has already 

 been mentioned. The great hall was 60 ft. long by 

 27 ft. in breadth and 19 ft. 6 in. high. It was ex- 

 tended northwards in 1856-7 to its present length of 

 90 ft., but the other dimensions remain unaltered. 

 It is lit by a range of mullioned windows with single 

 transom on the west side towards the quadrangle and 

 by a bay window 15 ft. 6 in. wide by 12 ft. 6 in. 

 deep on either side of the dais at the south end. 

 There were originally windows on the east side to the 

 north of the fireplace, the mullions of which may be 

 seen in the store rooms above the kitchens. The old 

 fireplace opening, u ft. 6 in. wide, still remains in 

 the east side, but is now used as an alcove, from which 

 access is gained to the pantry. Above the segmental 

 arch is the escutcheon of Sir Nicholas Shireburne carved 

 in white marble, with helm, crest, mantling and motto, 

 and bearing the date 1699. The minstrels' gallery 

 at the north end has already been referred to as being 

 constructed from timber taken from the demolished 

 building of Hugh Shireburne. The royal arms of 

 James I are now placed above it, and underneath is 

 preserved an oak table on which, according to tradi- 

 tion, Cromwell slept on the occasion of his visit to 

 Stonyhurst in 1648. The present white marble pave- 

 ment replaced that of Sir Nicholas Shireburne in 1 862. 

 The heraldic stained glass which originally filled 

 the windows, being much damaged, is said to have 

 been removed in college times with a view to repair, 

 and to have been put away and lost. 181 The bay 

 windows are now filled with the coats of arms of past 

 students. 



The long gallery is 88 ft. long by 18 ft. wide and 

 19 ft. high, and was originally lit by windows on both 

 sides. Those on the south are now blocked by the 

 later college buildings, the room which is used as a 

 picture gallery and museum being lit only from the 

 quadrangle and the west end. At the east end the 

 gallery originally opened into the great drawing-room, 

 which occupied the destroyed south-east wing, and 

 was an apartment 46 ft. long from north to south and 

 24 ft. 6 in. in width, with a large bay window to the 

 south-east. A door on its north side communicated 

 with the dais of the great hall. The chimney-piece 

 is described as having been ' a large handsome struc- 

 ture in stucco with the arms of Shireburne and Bailey 

 quarterly in the centre and the motto " Quant je 

 puis," and on either side the same arms impaling 

 Stourton on one side and Kighley on the other, the 

 two wives of Richard Shireburne, Sir Richard's son and 

 successor.' 18a The fireplace was dated 1596. 



There remains the room in the south-west tower 

 now known as the Bailey room, but probably originally 

 the chapel. This room presents several interesting 

 problems and shows architectural features different 

 from those in any other part of the building. 183 As 

 shown on the plan of 1 694 the room measures 5 5 ft. 

 in length from north to south, with a breadth at the 

 north end of 21 ft. and 29 ft. at the south within the 

 ' wing ' proper. It was lit by a pointed window of 



181 Cent. Rec. 54. 



w Ibid. 53. 



188 Father Beauclerk has discussed veiy 



fully the problem of the ' Blind Tower ' 

 in the Stonyhurst Mag. for 1885, pp. 92-99. 

 His conclusions, without necessarily being 



II 



accepted, are 

 consideration. 



worthy of attention and 



