Towneley Park
Encyclopedia
Towneley Park comprises Towneley Hall, a large country house, and its surrounding estate on the outskirts of Burnley
, Lancashire
, England
.
Most of the land is open, although a nature trail follows the woodland to the rear of the hall. On the trail can be seen sculptures of various woodland and mythical creatures emerging from the trees. The open ground is mostly taken up by a golf course
and many football pitches; there are 4 full size pitches and 12 smaller pitches, which are used in Sunday League games and in children's football matches. There is also a changing block for teams to use in bigger matches. Other sports played in Towneley Park include cricket
, bowls
, rugby
and tennis
. There is also a pitch and putt
course in the park.
The River Calder
flows through the grounds. The local high school, Unity College
, formerly Towneley High, opened in September 2010, moving from the main entrance of the park to a new build further inside the land.
were an important Catholic family and once owned extensive estates in and around Burnley, the West Riding of Yorkshire, and County Durham. From 1835, they held the powerful Lordship of Bowland
in north-east Lancashire, making them so-called Lords of the Fells.
Towneley Hall not only contains the 15th Century Whalley Abbey
vestments, but also has its own chapel - with a finely carved altarpiece
made in Antwerp around 1525. The hall was the home of the Towneley family for over 500 years. The male line of the family died out in 1878 and in 1901 one of the daughters, Lady O'Hagan, sold the house together with 62 acres (250,905.3 m²) of land to Burnley Corporation. The family departed in March 1902, leaving behind a building almost completely empty except for a couple of tables and a few pictures in the chapel. The park was opened to the public in June 1902, and in May 1903 the Great Hall and the south wing of the house were opened for a temporary art exhibition.
, Egyptology
, local history, textiles, decorative art and regional furniture, together with an art gallery.
The art gallery includes a large collection of paintings, focusing on romantic Victorian and pre-Raphaelite art, with some earlier paintings. Of note are the gallery's Waterhouse
paintings (including the original 'Destiny'), works by Poynter
and Zoffany
, and the ovine-themed paintings of 'Frozen Mutton' Farquharson
.
In July 2005 the Heritage Lottery Fund granted £2 million to help fund a major programme of restoration of the Park that is still on-going. A previous Heritage Lottery Fund helped to build a museum shop, lecture theatre and offices in the footprint of the old servants' quarters. This new building was opened in 2002.
and a classic cars show.
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
, 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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Most of the land is open, although a nature trail follows the woodland to the rear of the hall. On the trail can be seen sculptures of various woodland and mythical creatures emerging from the trees. The open ground is mostly taken up by a golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
and many football pitches; there are 4 full size pitches and 12 smaller pitches, which are used in Sunday League games and in children's football matches. There is also a changing block for teams to use in bigger matches. Other sports played in Towneley Park include cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
, rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
. There is also a pitch and putt
Pitch and putt
Pitch and putt is an amateur sport, similar to golf. The maximum hole length for international competitions is with a maximum total course length of . Players may only use three clubs; one of which must be a putter...
course in the park.
The River Calder
River Calder, Lancashire
The River Calder is a major tributary of the River Ribble, starting in Cliviger close to Burnley in Lancashire, England and is around 24 km / 15 miles in length. Its source is very close to that of the West Yorkshire river with the same name, and that of the River Irwell. It flows through...
flows through the grounds. The local high school, Unity College
Unity College (Burnley)
Unity College is a mixed 11-16 comprehensive school in Burnley, Lancashire, with specialisms in Arts and English.-History:Unity College has recently been successfully redesignated as a College specialising in English and the Arts...
, formerly Towneley High, opened in September 2010, moving from the main entrance of the park to a new build further inside the land.
History
The TowneleysTowneley (family)
The Towneley or Townley family are an English recusant family whose ancestry can be traced back to Norman England. They take their name from Towneley Hall in Burnley, Lancashire, which was the family seat until its sale in 1901.-The Towneleys of Towneley Hall:...
were an important Catholic family and once owned extensive estates in and around Burnley, the West Riding of Yorkshire, and County Durham. From 1835, they held the powerful Lordship of Bowland
Lordship of Bowland
The Lordship of Bowland, an ancient English title connected with the Forest of Bowland in the northwest of England, was once thought lost and was only recently rediscovered. It disappeared from sight in 1885 when the estates of the Towneleys, one of Lancashire’s great aristocratic families, were...
in north-east Lancashire, making them so-called Lords of the Fells.
Towneley Hall not only contains the 15th Century Whalley Abbey
Whalley Abbey
Whalley Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey in Whalley, Lancashire, England. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the abbey was largely demolished and a country house was built on the site. In the 20th century the house was modified and it is now the Retreat and Conference House of the...
vestments, but also has its own chapel - with a finely carved altarpiece
Altarpiece
An altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar of a church. The altarpiece is often made up of two or more separate panels created using a technique known as panel painting. It is then called a diptych, triptych or polyptych for two,...
made in Antwerp around 1525. The hall was the home of the Towneley family for over 500 years. The male line of the family died out in 1878 and in 1901 one of the daughters, Lady O'Hagan, sold the house together with 62 acres (250,905.3 m²) of land to Burnley Corporation. The family departed in March 1902, leaving behind a building almost completely empty except for a couple of tables and a few pictures in the chapel. The park was opened to the public in June 1902, and in May 1903 the Great Hall and the south wing of the house were opened for a temporary art exhibition.
Today
Today, the Museum houses a variety of displays, encompassing natural historyNatural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, Egyptology
Egyptology
Egyptology is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious practices in the AD 4th century. A practitioner of the discipline is an “Egyptologist”...
, local history, textiles, decorative art and regional furniture, together with an art gallery.
The art gallery includes a large collection of paintings, focusing on romantic Victorian and pre-Raphaelite art, with some earlier paintings. Of note are the gallery's Waterhouse
John William Waterhouse
John William Waterhouse was an English painter known for working in the Pre-Raphaelite style. He worked several decades after the breakup of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, which had seen its heydey in the mid-nineteenth century, leading him to have gained the moniker of "the modern Pre-Raphaelite"...
paintings (including the original 'Destiny'), works by Poynter
Edward Poynter
Sir Edward John Poynter, 1st Baronet, PRA was an English painter, designer, and draughtsman who served as President of the Royal Academy.-Life:...
and Zoffany
Johann Zoffany
Johan Zoffany, Zoffani or Zauffelij was a German neoclassical painter, active mainly in England...
, and the ovine-themed paintings of 'Frozen Mutton' Farquharson
Joseph Farquharson
Joseph Farquharson DL was a Scottish painter, chiefly of landscapes. He is most famous for his snowy winter landscapes, often featuring sheep and often depicting dawn or dusk...
.
In July 2005 the Heritage Lottery Fund granted £2 million to help fund a major programme of restoration of the Park that is still on-going. A previous Heritage Lottery Fund helped to build a museum shop, lecture theatre and offices in the footprint of the old servants' quarters. This new building was opened in 2002.
Events
Many annual events in Burnley are held at Towneley Park owing to its size and central location, including a Balloon FestivalBurnley Balloon Festival
Burnley Balloon Festival is a balloon festival held in Towneley Park, Burnley. The annual festival, first held in 2003, is usually put on in late July and is regarded as one of the biggest balloon events in the UK....
and a classic cars show.