More information : 'Hollinshead Hall stood at the foot of a wooded knoll among the
moors at the southern extremity of the township but it is now in
ruins, and a modern farmhouse, erected about the 'forties of the last
century not far from the old house, bears its name. The hall was of
17th C. date but one wing had been rebuilt in 1776. In the garden
was a well enclosing a spring of water of curative properties to
which the name of Holy Well was formerly given'.
..... The house, which was originally very extensive was almost
entirely pulled down in 1776' (a) (1)
'... In 14 Henry VII Sir Alexander Hoghton held lands in Tockholes
and Nicholas Wittone, in 17 Charles I died seised of messuages
and lands called Greene Tockholes in Livesey but the family of
Holinshed have more recently held the lordship... L.B. Holinshed
of Pendlebury, Esq., is the present lord of this reputed manor...'.
(2)
At Hollinshead Hall is a Wishing Well. The waters were taken on
account of their curative powers by pilgrims in the Middle Ages.
The iron rich waters of a spring flow into a stone lined basin,
before running in a pipe to a little 'chapel' below. Here in a
recess the water wells up in stone basins flanking a crouched stone
beast, from which more water spouts from the mouth.
The 'Chapel' was restored in 1905, but apart from the roofing and
flooring it is more or less in its Mediaeval state. (3)
[SD 6631 1993] Hollinshead Hall [T.I.] (4)
SD 66311996 Hollinshead Hall is completely in ruins, the majority
of the walls being reduced to foundation level. The few remaining
walls are from 0.4m to 0.6m thick rising to a maximum height of
3.0m. No identifiable architectural features remain making it
impossible to determine which, if any part, of the existing remains
are part of the 17th C. building referred to by authority (1).
The foundations of an L-shaped building at the north end of the
range may be the remains of the 17th cent. structure. This building
is shown roofless on OS 6" 1912 and corresponds with the statements
by authority (1) (written 1911) that the old hall, then in ruins,
was near the 19th cent. farmhouse.
The gateway to the garden of the vicarage at Tockholes is surmounted
by a lintel cearing the date '1692'. The Vicar, the Rev. G. Peake,
S.A. states that this stone is reputed to have come from Hollinshead
Hall.
SD 66371993. The wall referred to by authorities (1) and (3) consists
of a stone-lined basin, rectangular with rounded corners, measuring
3.8m x 2.0m. The surface of the water is 0.6m below ground level.
It shows no trace of antiquity.
SD 66371992 Immediately to the south of the well is the building
referred to as a chapel by authority (3). It is built partly into
the hillside and is constructed of stone, with barrel vaulted roof
and plain rectangular windows and doorway. The building shows no
traces of antiquity the architecture pointing to a late 18th or
even a 19th C. date. The internal features described by authority
(3) indicate that it is merely a form of grotto whose significance
was purely decorative and presumably constructed for the benefit of
people 'taking the waters'. See AO/58/199/5 and 6. (5)
A 25" A.M. survey has been made (6)
Nothing remains of the Hall except the overgrown foundations and
fragments of walls at SD 66311996, but a lintel dated 1692 reputed
to be from it is built into the garden gateway at the Vicarage,
Tockholes. The basin of the well is at SD 66371992. A small
decorative form of grotto of indeterminate age, but clearly not a
medieval 'chapel' is situated at SD 66371992. (7)
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