Part of Witton Old Hall medieval lordly residence 340m north east of Feniscliffe Bridge

Reasons for Designation

Medieval rural settlements in England were marked by great regional diversity in form, size and type, and the protection of their archaeological remains needs to take these differences into account. To do this, England has been divided into three broad Provinces on the basis of each area's distinctive mixture of nucleated and dispersed settlements. These can be further divided into sub-Provinces and local regions, possessing characteristics which have gradually evolved during the past 1500 years or more. This monument lies in the Lancashire Lowlands sub-Province of the Northern and Western Province, an area extending from the moorlands of the western Pennines to the coastal plain with its villages and hamlets. The southern part of the sub-Province supports high densities of dispersed settlements, but there are much lower densities further north, in the Craven Lowlands, the Ribble Valley and the areas around Morecambe Bay. In the Middle Ages the larger, lowland settlements were supported by `core' arable lands, communally cultivated, with enclosed fields around them. The uplands contained sheep and cattle farms and seasonally occupied `shieling' settlements.

Most villages included one or more high status residences typically owned by a Lord of the Manor. In the medieval period these prestigious residences generally included a great hall, private chambers, kitchens, stores and service rooms, frequently housed in a series of separate buildings or ranges, typically around one or more courtyards. Lordly residences were also often the centre of the Lord's home farm and would thus include one or more barns and other structures like granaries and buildings for livestock. They were typically sited next to the parish church or included a chapel which in some places became a parish church at a later date. Sometimes the outer boundary of the complex of buildings making up the lordly residence was defined by a bank or ditch. Those lordly residences defined by a substantial ditch are normally identifed as moated sites. Fish ponds, dovecots and mill sites are also often associated with lordly residences, although often placed beyond the boundary of the main concentration of buildings. Lordly residences may survive as visible remains as well as below ground deposits. They were important foci of medieval rural life as typically the Lord of the Manor closely regulated local agriculture and village life. Towards the end of the medieval period, this form of lordly residence with its scatter of separate buildings was increasingly replaced by larger, more comfortable houses, often set apart from the core of the village itself. Despite suffering damage and neglect, the upstanding and buried remains of Witton Old Hall medieval lordly residence survive reasonably well and form part of a building considered to have been occupied for about 500 years. It will retain significant information providing insights into the layout and function of an early lordly residence.

Details

The monument includes the upstanding and buried remains of part of Witton Old Hall medieval lordly residence. It is interpreted as forming part of the residence of the Lord of the Manor of Witton. Witton Old Hall is located on a low knoll on the north bank of the River Blakewater, 340m north east of Feniscliffe Bridge, and consists of the ruins of a range of buildings on the north side of a courtyard or farmyard. It is difficult to separate land which formed part of Witton Manor from that which formed part of Witton Old Hall and its estate, and it is not known precisely when construction of Witton Old Hall began. A further complicating factor is that the manor of Witton and Witton Old Hall and its estate descended quite separately for considerable periods of time. Witton Manor was part of the pre-Conquest manor of Billington and during the 13th century was owned by the de Lacy family, Earls of Lincoln. Documentary sources indicate that in the mid-13th century Witton Manor belonged to the de Billington family who held it of the de Lacy family. In 1288 the manor was given to the de Chadderton family and by the early 15th century it had passed to the de Radcliffe family. In the late 15th century the manor had passed by marriage to the Standish family. In 1680 it passed to Thomas Greenfield from whom it descended to his daughter, Martha, wife of the Rev'd John Holme, Vicar of Blackburn 1706-38. Their son passed the manor to trustees for sale in 1742. Regarding Witton Old Hall documentary sources indicate that in the late 13th century the de Billington family granted part of their estate to the de Haldeley family to hold of the de Lacy family. In 1322 the de Haldeley's gave the estate to the de Radcliffe family. In 1347 the estate passed to the Abbot of Whalley Abbey and after the dissolution it was sold to Richard Crombilholme. The first documentary evidence directly referring to Witton Old Hall is found in 1544 when it was sold by Richard Crombilholme to George and William Astley. Witton Old Hall remained with the Astley family until the early 18th century after which it was owned by John Holme, Vicar of Blackburn 1706-38. By the late 1780s ownership had passed to the Feilden family and in 1800 work began on the construction of Witton House, the Feilden family's new residence some 450m to the west. Witton Old Hall was then advertised to let as Witton Hall Milk Farm in 1803/4. In 1849 the hall was marked as `in ruins' on the First Edition Ordnance Survey Map and by 1875 it was recorded as being used as a barn. The upstanding remains of Witton Old Hall include the lower courses of a sandstone-built structure approximately 25m in length with walls up to a maximum of about 1.5m high which is divided into three parts. The central and largest part may have functioned as a barn; it has a wide doorway in its south wall and a blocked doorway of similar width in its north wall. There is a narrower doorway at its south east corner. Internally the barn is floored with a combination of sandstone flags and brick. Abutting the barn on the east side is a smaller building, now partially floored with concrete, with a doorway in its south wall and another doorway in its west wall which leads into the barn. There are also blocked doorways in its north and east walls. To the west of the barn there is a building interpreted as a house which projects further northwards than the rest of the range. It is brick-floored and has two entrances in its south wall and an entrance in its east wall leading into the barn. To the south of this range of buildings is a yard partially floored with cobbles. Towards the centre of the yard is a well surrounded by sandstone flags and nearby is a large stone watering trough. The east and west walls of the building range continue south to form a wall surrounding the yard. Access into the yard is through a gateway in the east side flanked by sandstone gateposts. Immediately south of this gateway and outside the yard wall are the largely earth-covered walls of a small stone-built structure. Further buried remains associated with Witton Old Hall are considered to extend southwards for a short distance into allotments. A chestnut fence around the upstanding ruins and the surface of an allotment track are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath these features is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

34981

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Wilson, R D S, The Feildens of Witton Park, ()
Farrer, W, Brownbill, J (eds), The Victoria History of the County of Lancashire, (1911), 264-5

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