In 1855 scandal hit Winstanley estate when a Mrs Shortrede was found drowned in the courtyard well. It was later discovered that Mr Shortrede had been having an affair, his wife found out and threw herself into the well. Mrs Atherton, Mr Shortrede's extra marital interest, unable to deal with the guilt subsequently hung herself from the balcony of the master bedroom. Mr Shortrede, being unable to cope with the loss of both his women, shot himself in the head whilst sat on the privy. The rest is history, so to speak. Fast forward to 2016. SAVE (save britains heritage foundation) is fighting for another house on Death Row, Winstanley Hall in Lancashire, a 415 year old Elizabethan mansion near Wigan extensively remodelled by Lewis Wyatt, the talented son of James Wyatt’s brother Benjamin in the early-19th century. The buildings are listed Grade II. The stable court and other buildings to the side of the main house are a prize example of English eccentricity, with rugged Primitivist masonry and designed with a heady mix of Norman, Tudor and Baroque motifs and a Swiss cottage covered in Celtic-style ornament at the end. They were built by Meyrick Bankes II, a colourful character who travelled extensively in Europe and America and adorned his grounds with statues of animals and monsters. The fountain in the center of the stable court portrays Neptune in his chariot drawn by sea horses and was carved by the Liverpool sculptor William Spence after a design by Meyrick Bankes of Winstanley in the late 1700s. It serves as a true indication of British 18th century eccentricity, and whilst the buildings around it crumble, the fountain remains protected by steel fences and vertical supports to prevent irreversible damage from occurring. Winstanley Hall and some 10 acres of grounds are currently owned by a leading local house builder, Dorbcrest. After failure to gain approval for a scheme with a substantial element of enabling development the complex of buildings at Winstanley have remained disused. In 2011, English Heritage was on the point of agreeing to a scheme which would have seen the main house and some of the outbuildings demolished when SAVE stepped in. The immediate need is to halt decay. The grounds and parkland were subject to extensive open cast coalmining in the post-war period and, subsequently, the M6 motorway was built along the edge of the parkland, clipping off one of the lodges. The grounds however have been restored after mining and the motorway is mainly in a cutting. A groundskeepers cottage was built in the late 1970’s that now lies derelict with possessions left inside pointing to the family leaving in the late 90’s. Since then, the cottage itself and the entirety of Winstanley Estate has been left to fall victim to the elements. The interior floors of the manor have deteriorated so much that the majority of them no longer stand. From my images you can see how the Police have had to intervene in an attempt to stop people from entering the unstable grounds. Winstanley remains a romantic place, approached by a long drive secluded by trees and woodland it is easy to see how proud it would once have stood within the countryside of the district during its heyday. Maybe one day it will do so again.
