Enjoying retirement
In The Red Rose County
One of Lancashire's historic houses that we hadn't visited was Turton Tower. We booked a tour. It was built in the late Middle Ages as a two-storey stone pele tower which was altered and enlarged mainly in late 16th century. It is built on high ground 600 feet above sea level about four miles north of Bolton. William Camden described it as being built "amongst precipices and wastes." A north wing and additions were made during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and alterations were made during the early years of Queen Victoria. So it is a real miscellany and indeed you can sense, more than almost anywhere, how the individuals inhabiting the house adapted it to their own times and usages. Throughout the house are displayed one of the finest collections of period furniture and paintings in the region and many items are on display from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, while others are from local museums and organisations such as Towneley Hall in Burnley and Chetham’s Library in Manchester. All look very much the part. The Dining Room is located in the oldest part of the building – the base of the old stone tower. This room was dramatically altered after James Kay became the owner of Turton Tower in 1835. Kay was a keen antiquarian and wanted to recreate a dining room of the 1600s. The oak panelling was bought from the sale of interiors at Middleton Hall near Manchester at the time of its demolition in 1844. The windows contain excellent examples of painted glass made in Switzerland in the early 1600s. In another room we saw the so-called 'Bishop's Chair'. There are only three examples in the UK In the hallway are two pictures of the Horrocks Family who were tenants of the Tower from 1750 to 1820. Pictured are William Horrocks and his wife Elizabeth on their wedding day in 1743, he is age 86 and she is 28. Elizabeth previously worked as a servant for the Chetham family. They went on to have a child, James, who lived to be over the age of 100. On the top floor of the pele tower the Drawing Room became a place for relaxation and entertainment. From the 1840s the Kay family and their guests amused themselves here by enjoying games at the card table, playing the piano, sewing by the fire and admiring the paintings on display. The oak panelling here is also from Middleton Hall, and a new plaster ceiling was installed showing a Tudor rose design. In the Tapestry Bedroom, one can see an oak bed, made some time around 1590. Carved into the oak is the coat of arms of the Courtenay family of Devon. James Kay bought the bed in the 1840s, attracted by its age and motivated by his desire for historic things. This bed would have also appealed to him because of its association with such a distinguished aristocratic family. The date is carved into the foot of the bed. This detail was probably added to the bed shortly before it was transported to Turton Tower. Recently the bed was damaged a little in situ, and the V & A want it back! Basically Bolton Council have said come and get it (an expensive process), and so there is somewhat of an impasse. Such you learn from chatty guides! At one point we could see the cruck house very nearly abutting the tower with just the tiniest gap. Was this insurance against fire? Whatever, it is a singular arrangement and astonishing to see. Three types of wattle and daub were on display. This is the most recent. The Chetham Room is at the top of the stone tower. The walls were extended up a floor by the Orrell family in the 1500s. Evidence of this can be seen from both the outside and inside of the tower. Once divided into two connecting rooms, the Kay family played billiards here in the late 1800s. I was interested in this portrait as it shows one of the officers - a Robert Keymer - present at the Peterloo Massacre. One outside window had two interesting stone figures, the right-hand one almost Peruvian or African?
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August 2023
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