Westwood Hall

Had the privilege of having a tour round the Hall today after meeting the cracking (eccentric) tenant. The hall was made a grade 2 listed building in the 60's, and delisted when the council tried to sell the land to a Chinese consortium in the 90's I think. He moved in the Hall in 1971 after his Mother agreed with the lady who lived there, Mrs Elizabeth Kay, to look after the place.Mrs Kay dies in 1986 (I think) When the council took ownership, they tried to get the tenant out as the place was unfit for human habitat, he went to court and won.


(The above may have the wrong dates, but am sure you will put me right, where I can edit and correct)

I have been invited back tomorrow to see some old pics of the area by the tenant.

Nearby, there is the Kay tunnel? that the Railways build so the hall owners and Kay Cottages tenants could have access.
There was a clay woks where the Kays dug the clay out to make bricks that went into building the Kays Cottages. There was also a mine there, which was handy to keep the Hall warm.

The Hall was build in the 1600's, and was changed in style and added to in the 1800's.

The hall itself is leaning, so when I went upstairs it was like I had vertigo.

https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101392199-westwood-hall-and-attached-cottage-worsley-mesnes-ward#.W6J3AYgvyUk

 Pictures don't do it justice.


Many of the pics may be useless, due to the light....

First thing I saw on the entrance to the Hall.


Oak beams on ceiling 1960's light fitting


Panelled wall


Floorboard, (I could see through them, and the drop was substantial)


Cupboard


Dizzying staircase with a beam running across top. (very low


A beam holding  a bedroom roof up from downstairs  (Not all same stairs)


A beam holding  a bedroom roof up from downstairs


A beam holding  a bedroom roof up. From down stairs


A beam holding  a bedroom roof up


A beam holding  a bedroom roof up closeup (Tried to get bolts in. Failed)


A beam holding  a bedroom roof up from downstairs.


Another beam holding  a bedroom roof up



Another beam holding  a bedroom roof up


Front door (Pic repeated (crap image))


Side door



Tried to show the colour of the wood, failed


Original front door from inside (It was pitch black here)


Another bedroom fireplace


Central heating put in during the 70's?


Window with sash? open


Window Sash? (Forgot the real term)


A skylight


Fireplace in a bedroom


A cupboard



Panelled wall between rooms


Back door

Rear of property (Only access now)



Side of house (new front of hall)


Front of hall (Not original)


Front of the hall (Not the original one)


Original entry to the Hall


The first wekll (Capped and now dry (It was fed from the house water run off, from lead pipes)


Original front of the building


Original main entrance


Original main entrance


Floor of the front of the original main door (They ran all the way in, and may have been coloured)


A boot scraper on the right of the original main door (Had to stand on weeds to be able to see them)

A boot scraper on the left of the original main door



Second main door, there are four concrete blocks that once were the base of four columns for the porch? to the entrance


Abandoned boat.


One of the two wells that fed water to the Hall


One of the two wells that fed water to the Hall(2)

Where is the hall, Mac?

Past the cemetery (westwood), follow the track down, right turn at the Westwood lodge and about a quarter of a mile down. It's set back.

Thanks, it’s an interesting building & I had no idea it was there.

Cool pictures, it looks like he thought you were there to evict him

Is the concrete boat still there ?

Marriage: 6 Feb 1899 All Saints, Hindley, Lancashire, England
Abraham Kay - 70, Retired Boat builder, Bachelor, Ince
Annie Kearsley - 22, Spinster, Hindley Green
Groom's Father: Henry Kay, Deceased
Bride's Father: James Kearsley, Farmer
Witness: Thos. Hill; Ellen Hill
Married by Banns by: Fred. W. Johnstone, Curate
Register: Marriages 1891 - 1899, Page 240, Entry 480
Source: LDS Film 93751

Baptism: 18 Apr 1900 St Mary, Ince, Lancashire, England
Elizabeth Kay - [Child] of Abraham Kay, Gentleman & Annie
Born: 16 Jan 1900
Abode: Westwood Hall
Baptised by: C. W. Riley Curate
Register: Baptisms 1887 - 1902, Page 166, Entry 1324
Source: Original register at Wigan Archives
'
I remember my mother's aunt ,who lived in the first house near the tunnel ,telling us her granddaughter had moved into the' Big House'

Mac., I thought Sean Stockton had bought Westwood Hall, in a semi-demolished state?  If that's Westwood Hall, he must have got somewhere else!

Would that have been Westwood House once owned by the Walmsley family?

I think he bought the Lodge, Tonk, (Or the house behind it which is hidden from view)  I believe Steve Breeney had something to do with it.


I will find out tomorrow, Myg.

tonker wrote:Mac., I thought Sean Stockton had bought Westwood Hall, in a semi-demolished state?  If that's Westwood Hall, he must have got somewhere else!

He sounds like a nice chap .....

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/11204854._If_you_shoot_those_dogs_I_ll_shoot_you_/

And look who the next story down is about,, another nice chap

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/9810797.Gangster__Leggy_Pownall____jailed_for_plot_to_rob_St_Helens_drug_dealer/?ref=ar

Mac try this

http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/communicate/mb_message.php?opt=f1&opt2=&msd=47317&offset=34761&subject=What%20a%20day%20at%20Westwood%20Hall%20Cottage%20Ince

Thanks, Vixen, but it's from WW, so I can't use anything. I will speak with the chap again tomorrow, he is in his 70's. When he passes away, there will be no one left to occupy it, so it will fall into disrepair.

Found this though

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/853196

I gave it to you to read, just a perspective from a few years ago

Myg. Thanks for the above, very enlightening. I am a bit out in dates, it seems.

Vixen wrote:Mac try this

http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/communicate/mb_message.php?opt=f1&opt2=&msd=47317&offset=34761&subject=What%20a%20day%20at%20Westwood%20Hall%20Cottage%20Ince

Going back to that time, I went down there to take some photographs, but I did so from the road, I didn't go on to the property,, he still let his dogs out though, who had a good bark at me and it didn't look very nice then, it looks like it has been tidied up a bit now.

I  drove onto the land, he came out so I went to talk to him. He was happy to talk. I asked him for a tour, he obliged. Think he was lonely to be honest.

Thanks, Vixen

Marriage: 21 Jan 1946 St Mary, Ince, Lancashire, England
William McAvoy - 56, Butcher, Bachelor, 91 Scholes Wigan
Elizabeth Kay - 44, Spinster, Westwood Hall Lower Ince
Groom's Father: Edward McAvoy, deceased, Butcher
Bride's Father: Abraham Kay, deceased, Boat Builder
Witness: Ernest O McAvoy; Dorothy Holliday
Married by Licence by: J E Bebb Vicar
Register: Marriages 1942 - 1954, Page 79, Entry 158
Source: Original register at Wigan Archives

Elizabeth died in 1988

I am looking forward to your further information on this topic Mac.

Nice one Mac.

Again, thanks, Myg.
He wasn't far out when she died....

Married to the McAvoy's eh...Wonder if she kept the Kay name or they just referred to her as Kay for old times sakes?

myg wrote:Marriage: 6 Feb 1899 All Saints, Hindley, Lancashire, England
Abraham Kay - 70, Retired Boat builder, Bachelor, Ince
Annie Kearsley - 22, Spinster, Hindley Green
   Groom's Father: Henry Kay, Deceased
   Bride's Father: James Kearsley, Farmer
   Witness: Thos. Hill; Ellen Hill
   Married by Banns by: Fred. W. Johnstone, Curate
   Register: Marriages 1891 - 1899, Page 240, Entry 480
   Source: LDS Film 93751

Baptism: 18 Apr 1900 St Mary, Ince, Lancashire, England
Elizabeth Kay - [Child] of Abraham Kay, Gentleman & Annie
   Born: 16 Jan 1900
   Abode: Westwood Hall
   Baptised by: C. W. Riley Curate
   Register: Baptisms 1887 - 1902, Page 166, Entry 1324
   Source: Original register at Wigan Archives
'
I remember my mother's aunt ,who lived in the first house near the tunnel ,telling us her granddaughter had moved into the' Big House'

My mother is a Kearsley from Kays Houses, and I also remember her telling me about a relative who moved to the 'big house. There was a lot of Jimmy Kearsleys, My granfather, his dad and his dad as well. The James Kearsley above could the right age and time to have been the one involved in the Robert Kidd Murder... although he was a labourer on a farm, not the actual farm owner.

Carl Lillis. Fyi. Me

My mother's cousin married a Lillis in 1933 , must be related.
Cadfael William Kearsley of Kays' houses was involved in the murder Annie' s family above lived in Leigh Road Hindley Green
,

That's the name of the current tenant, Myg. I posted it there so I wouldn't forget his name.

I have all the missives from the legal wrangling where Mr Lillis took on the council to protect the hall after they wanted to remove him and demolish the hall. It makes for interesting reading. I will scan it all and if anyone is interested, then I will post them.

Apparently, there were four Ince Halls in the area, the one across from Westwood hall was owned by the Walmesleys, who owned the moss pit(s) The Hall owned by the Walmesleys was broken into by a housebreaker called George Lyons. the Upholland Highwayman. Seem he was no more than a common thief.

I wish I had an Eidetic memory, Mr Lillis is a mine of info and I couldn't take everything in. Am seeing him again next week, will take him some dinner up and a cake, I think.











The original pic


Kays houses (Original)



Children of Kay's Houses(Original)


Kays houses and oak beams


Construction of Control building in 1950. Westwood hall and Westwood cottages in Background(Kays Cottages)



Oak beams