Atherton Hall, Leigh
Encyclopedia
Atherton Hall was a mansion house and estate in Atherton
historically
a part of Lancashire
, England but since 1894 incorporated into Leigh
, Greater Manchester
. Christopher Saxton
's map shows that there was a medieval deer park
here in the time of Elizabeth I.
. In 1723, Richard Vernon Atherton, "Mad Richard", began the building of a new mansion to designs by William Wakefield at a cost of £63,000 (£ as of ),, which was described by Lunn as, "A testimony to his pride, vanity and insanity". It was unfinished at the time of Richard Atherton's death in 1726 and completed by his son-in-law Robert Gwillym in 1743.
The facade at the front of the house was 102 feet wide supported by Ionic
fluted pillars and pilaster
s. The Great Hall measured 36 feet by 45 feet. The hall is described in "Vitruvius Britannicus" vol.iii p. 89.
His daughter Elizabeth Atherton married Robert Gwillym and their son Robert Vernon Atherton married Henrietta Maria Legh. They had five children, their sons died young, their eldest daughter was Henrietta Maria, the second daughter Elizabeth married her cousin George Anthony Legh Keck
and lived at Bank Hall
in Bretherton
, and a third daughter, Esther, married John Hornby, rector of Winwick
. The eldest daughter, Henrietta Maria Atherton, married Thomas Powys, 2nd Baron Lilford whose father was ennobled by Pitt the Younger in 1797, taking the title of Baron Lilford
. Thomas Powys, 2nd Baron Lilford, left his estates to his son, Thomas Atherton Powys
.
in Northamptonshire
. The Lilfords had inherited another property in Bewsey
which belonged to the Athertons, and considered one property in Lancashire adequate for their needs and had lavished considerable expense on Bewsey Hall. After failing to sell Atherton Hall which was less than a century old, it was demolished in 1824. Some furniture and carpets went to Bewsey, the clock from the tower was given to Chowbent Chapel
. Many of the fittings from the house, such as fireplaces were sold at auction and installed in other houses in the area. An organ was advertised for sale and the parishioners at St John's Chapel in Atherton begged it as a gift but Lord Lilford gave it to his sister in law and it was installed at Winwick Church where her husband was rector. However, some of the outbuildings were left standing and today are private property still known as Atherton Hall, the estate is now known as Lilford Park.
One of the Stone Lions is still situated on the site, and can be seen over the railings from the west side of the childrens play park which is now on the site.
Atherton, Greater Manchester
Atherton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England, historically a part of Lancashire. It is east of Wigan, north-northeast of Leigh, and northwest of Manchester...
historically
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
a part of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England but since 1894 incorporated into Leigh
Leigh, Greater Manchester
Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Wigan, and west of Manchester. Leigh is situated on low lying land to the north west of Chat Moss....
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
. Christopher Saxton
Christopher Saxton
Christopher Saxton was an English cartographer, probably born in the parish of Dewsbury, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England around 1540....
's map shows that there was a medieval deer park
Medieval deer park
A medieval deer park was an enclosed area containing deer. It was bounded by a ditch and bank with a wooden park pale on top of the bank. The ditch was typically on the inside, thus allowing deer to enter the park but preventing them from leaving.-History:...
here in the time of Elizabeth I.
Building
Atherton Hall, which replaced the moated Lodge Hall, was named after the Athertons who had been lords of the manor of Atherton since the township emerged in the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. In 1723, Richard Vernon Atherton, "Mad Richard", began the building of a new mansion to designs by William Wakefield at a cost of £63,000 (£ as of ),, which was described by Lunn as, "A testimony to his pride, vanity and insanity". It was unfinished at the time of Richard Atherton's death in 1726 and completed by his son-in-law Robert Gwillym in 1743.
The facade at the front of the house was 102 feet wide supported by Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
fluted pillars and pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s. The Great Hall measured 36 feet by 45 feet. The hall is described in "Vitruvius Britannicus" vol.iii p. 89.
Occupants
The Atherton family's long association with the township ended with Richard Atherton's death in 1726.His daughter Elizabeth Atherton married Robert Gwillym and their son Robert Vernon Atherton married Henrietta Maria Legh. They had five children, their sons died young, their eldest daughter was Henrietta Maria, the second daughter Elizabeth married her cousin George Anthony Legh Keck
George Anthony Legh Keck
Lt.Col. George Anthony Legh Keck was born in 1784 at Stoughton, Leicestershire and was the son of Anthony James Keck and his wife Elizabeth . George Anthony Legh Keck was a member of the Legh family that lived at Lyme Hall at Lyme Park, Cheshire. His wife Elizabeth from Atherton Hall in Atherton...
and lived at Bank Hall
Bank Hall
Bank Hall is a Jacobean mansion south of the village of Bretherton in Lancashire, England. It is a Grade II* Listed Building. The hall was built on the site of a previous building in 1608 during the reign of James I by the Banastre family who were Lords of the Manor. It was extended during the 18th...
in Bretherton
Bretherton
Bretherton is a small village and civil parish in the Borough of Chorley, Lancashire, England situated to the south west of Leyland and east of Tarleton. Its name suggests pre-conquest origins and its early history was closely involved with the manor house Bank Hall and the families who lived there...
, and a third daughter, Esther, married John Hornby, rector of Winwick
Winwick, Cheshire
Winwick is a village and civil parish in the borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. Historically within Lancashire, until 1 April 1974, Winwick was administered as part of Lancashire with the rest of north Warrington. It is situated about three miles north of Warrington town centre, near...
. The eldest daughter, Henrietta Maria Atherton, married Thomas Powys, 2nd Baron Lilford whose father was ennobled by Pitt the Younger in 1797, taking the title of Baron Lilford
Baron Lilford
Baron Lilford, of Lilford in the County of Northampton, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1797 for Thomas Powys, who had previously represented Northamptonshire in the House of Commons. His grandson, the third Baron, served as a Lord-in-Waiting from 1837 to 1841 in the...
. Thomas Powys, 2nd Baron Lilford, left his estates to his son, Thomas Atherton Powys
Thomas Powys, 3rd Baron Lilford
Thomas Atherton Powys, 3rd Baron Lilford , was a British peer and Whig politician.Lilford was the son of Thomas Powys, 2nd Baron Lilford, and Henrietta Maria Atherton of Atherton Hall. He succeeded his father as second Baron in 1825...
.
Demolition
In the early 19th century the Atherton estate was inherited by Thomas Powys, Lord Lilford, who preferred to live at the family seat, Lilford HallLilford Hall
Lilford Hall is a Grade 1 listed stately 100-room home having a Jacobean exterior and Georgian interior with a floor area, located in the eastern part of the County of Northamptonshire in the United Kingdom, south of Oundle and north of Thrapston. A Grade 1 listed building is considered by the UK...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. The Lilfords had inherited another property in Bewsey
Bewsey
Bewsey and Whitecross is a ward to the west of the town centre of Warrington, England . The town's General Hospital is within the ward. The area is served by the 16/16A bus route from Dallam to Warrington. In terms of other facilities the Sankey Valley Park runs through Bewsey, and there is a...
which belonged to the Athertons, and considered one property in Lancashire adequate for their needs and had lavished considerable expense on Bewsey Hall. After failing to sell Atherton Hall which was less than a century old, it was demolished in 1824. Some furniture and carpets went to Bewsey, the clock from the tower was given to Chowbent Chapel
Chowbent Chapel
Chowbent Chapel is a Unitarian place of worship in Atherton, Greater Manchester, England. It was built in 1721 and is the oldest place of worship in the town. It is a member of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, the umbrella organisation for British...
. Many of the fittings from the house, such as fireplaces were sold at auction and installed in other houses in the area. An organ was advertised for sale and the parishioners at St John's Chapel in Atherton begged it as a gift but Lord Lilford gave it to his sister in law and it was installed at Winwick Church where her husband was rector. However, some of the outbuildings were left standing and today are private property still known as Atherton Hall, the estate is now known as Lilford Park.
Lilford Park
In 1914 the Atherton Estate and surrounding woodland was presented to the town of Leigh by John Powys, 5th Baron Lilford and became known as Lilford Park. Atherton Lake was of a crescent shape and survived until the 19th century, it was approximately one kilometre in length and spanned by a three arch stone bridge which became popular with visitors during the Victorian era. The bridge was constructed in 1724 and was known as the Lions Bridge due to the stone lions on pedestals at intervals along the bridge. Today the lake has now dried up and the bridge survived until 1905 when it collapsed.One of the Stone Lions is still situated on the site, and can be seen over the railings from the west side of the childrens play park which is now on the site.