Mains Hall (also known as Mains Hall Manor) is a historic building on Mains Lane in

Singleton Singleton may refer to: Sciences, technology Mathematics * Singleton (mathematics), a set with exactly one element * Singleton field, used in conformal field theory Computing * Singleton pattern, a design pattern that allows only one instance ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

, England. It is

Grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

, dating to the 16th century. A

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...

, from the 11th century, is believed to have once stood on the site. Today's manor house was remodelled in the 17th century and altered again in the 18th century and beyond. It is now a hotel. It is in rendered brick with a

slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...

roof, and has an irregular plan. The building has two storeys, and a hall range with projecting

gabled A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

bays, a large extension to the rear, and other additions. Most of the windows have been altered but there is one two-light

mullioned A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid sup ...

window, and inside are the remains of some of the original timberwork.

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death in 1830. At the time of his accession to the throne, h ...

is believed to have visited the manor in the early 19th century, while Cardinal Allen hid there to evade the

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

authorities during the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

. The monks of

Cockersand Abbey Cockersand Abbey is a former abbey and former civil parish near Cockerham in the City of Lancaster district of Lancashire, England. It is situated near the mouth of the River Cocker. History It was founded before 1184 as the Hospital of St Mar ...

were granted right of passage at the manor. The manor was home to the Hesketh family for around 300 years; it was also the home of the Fitzherberts. Roger and Adele Yeomans purchased the property in 1989, when it was a

bed and breakfast A bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. In addition, a B&B sometimes has the hosts living in the house. ''Bed and breakfast'' is also used to ...

. A fire in 2002 revealed that the manor's walls were still the original

wattle and daub Wattle and daub is a composite material, composite building method in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called "wattle (construction), wattle" is "daubed" with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, and ...

construction. During restoration work, the Yeomans also discovered a secret chapel. File:Mains Hall, Singleton.png, Mains Hall in the 19th century or earlier An 18th-century octagonal

dovecote A dovecote or dovecot , doocot (Scots Language, Scots) or columbarium is a structure intended to house Domestic pigeon, pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be free-standing structures in a variety of shapes, or built into the end of a house or b ...

, constructed of handmade brick, stands around north of the manor. It is also Grade II listed. File:Pigeon House - geograph.org.uk - 1211696.jpg, Mains Hall dovecote, pictured in 2009

References

{{Borough of Wyre buildings 16th-century establishments in England Houses completed in the 16th century Grade II listed buildings in Lancashire Houses in Lancashire Buildings and structures in the Borough of Wyre Singleton, Lancashire

See also

References