Quernmore Park Hall is a grade II*
listed Georgian country house which stands in a 20-acre estate in the village of
Quernmore
Quernmore (pronounced ) is a village and civil parish in the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. It is located about east of Lancaster. The parish of Quernmore had a population of 532 recorded in the 2001 census, increasing to 567 at th ...
, part of the
City of Lancaster
The City of Lancaster, or simply ''Lancaster'' (), is a non-metropolitan district, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in Lancashire, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Lancaster, Lanca ...
district of England.
The house consists of a main 3-storey block with set back pavilions at each end. The main block is built of sandstone ashlar with 5 bays on three sides, a hipped slate roof and a central Ionic entrance portico. It has 15 bedrooms and 4 reception rooms.
History
The Quernmore Park estate was sold by the Crown to Roger Downes of Wardley in 1630, passed c.1675 to Sir Thomas Preston of Furness and then passed by marriage to
Hugh Clifford, 2nd Baron Clifford of Chudleigh
Hugh Clifford, 2nd Baron Clifford of Chudleigh (21 December 1663 – 12 October 1730) was an English aristocrat.
Early life
Clifford was baptized on 21 December 1663 in Ugbrooke. Though the seventh child and second son, he was the eldest living ...
. It descended through the Clifford family until it was sold in 1794 to Charles Gibson of Preston. The present house was probably built by
Thomas Harrison of Chester in 1795–1798, when the estate covered some 1900 acres (770 ha), which Gibson completely reorganised, creating new farms and fields. He died in 1823, after which it transferred to his son, also Charles,
High Sheriff of Lancashire
The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient office, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales. The High Sheriff of Lanca ...
in 1827, who died soon after him in 1832. Charles Gibson senior's wife continued to live at the house after the death of her son.
In c.1842 the house was acquired by
William James Garnett (1818–1873), a prosperous cotton merchant of Lark Hill, Salford, conditional on the widow Gibson remaining in residence until her death, which occurred in 1843. He then commissioned Alexander Mills to remodel the frontage (adding the portico) and the interior entrance hall. He served as MP for
Lancaster
Lancaster may refer to:
Lands and titles
*The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire
*Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies
*Duke of Lancaster
*Earl of Lancaster
*House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty
...
from 1857 to 1864. It then passed down to his son, also William Garnett (1852–1929), who was a
Justice of the Peace (J.P.), Deputy-Lieutenant and appointed High Sheriff for 1879 and then in turn to his son, diplomat William James Garnett (1878–1965), who was High Sheriff for 1937 and 1941. On his death the property devolved to his younger brother Noel Trevor Garnett, an overseas civil servant, and then on the latter's death in 1961 to his son William Francis Garnett.
The estate was sold in 1990 by William Francis to the Oldroyd family.
The estate was for sale in 2012, with the house itself in 20 acres of grounds, for £2.5m. The Gardener's Cottage and Postern Gate Lodge are also on offer.
See also
*
*
Listed buildings in Quernmore
References
External links
Knight Frank sales details
{{City of Lancaster buildings
Country houses in Lancashire
Grade II* listed buildings in Lancashire
Buildings and structures in the City of Lancaster