SPEKE HALL,
LANCASHIRE.
PEC, Speake,—or Speke Hall, according to the more modern reading,—is situate about seven miles from Liverpool, and nearly the same distance from Prescot. The house and the estates adjacent—after passing through “several hands”—are now the property of Richard Watt, Esq., of Bishop-Burton, whose uncle, Richard Watt, Esq., merchant of Liverpool, purchased the manor from the Beauclerk family. The house is, however, “let,” and is now in the occupation of Joseph Brereton, Esq. The history of the mansion—preserved as it is from a very early period—is curious and interesting. Speke, according to Domesday Book, was “held by Uctred,” with “two caracutes of land,” and was “worth sixty-four pence.” With Uctred, however, it did not long remain; for, soon afterwards, we find it given by Benedict de Gerneth or Garnet, with Annota his daughter and heiress, to Adam de Molineux, of the Sefton branch of that very noble and chivalric family. From them it passed—by marriage with Joan Molineux, daughter of Sir John Molineux, Knt., of Sefton—to William Norris, Esq., of Sutton. From this union sprung the Lord Norris, of Rycot, and the founders of several other noble families of Lancashire and Berkshire.[65] It was held by the Norrises, in direct descent, until the middle of the last century, when it was inherited by Topham Beauclerk, Esq., by whose son it was transferred to Mr. Watt.
Speke Hall is among the best specimens of its class that yet endure in England. It is built of wood and plaster—the material employed in all the Lancashire houses of the sixteenth century. It was formerly surrounded by a moat, the remains of which are easily traced, although long ago filled up by gravelled walks and flowering shrubs in rich abundance. A stone bridge, with high piers, leads to the principal front; and the house is entered through a picturesque stone porch, immediately over which is the following inscription, in black letter of antique shape:—
This worke twenty yards long was wholly built by E. N., 1598.
The annexed woodcut shows the Stone Bridge leading to the entrance arch, from
which there is a flight of stone steps communicating with the moat; there appears formerly to have been a terrace walk on this side of the house, the situation of which is shown by the figure looking over the wall. The pinnacles and ornaments from the Gables on this side of the building are quite gone, the only ornament now remaining is the string course round the whole building which still remains in good preservation; and the window over the arch has some bold mouldings, it occupies the space below the second gable in the woodcut. A large room in the further Gable, now used as a Laundry, is said to have formerly been the Chapel: we may imagine this to have been the case by the window, which is different in size and shape from the others. On the right of the arch is a doorway leading to the moat by the flight of stone steps, also to the terrace-walk before mentioned, which is only continued on one side of the building. On each side of this doorway is a large stone seat, one of which is shown in the woodcut. The arch is ornamented with a number of small mouldings, which, commencing at one base, is continued through the impost and architrave to the base opposite.
Two large oak doors open from the porch into an inner court of an oblong form, in