Our aim is to give members the opportunity to enjoy the experience of looking at old and historic buildings, both locally and further afield. Enjoyment is the Group’s primary objective. But it’s hoped that, at the same time members will develop their appreciation of the importance of old and historic buildings in understanding our cultural and artistic heritage.
Where we can we arrange out of hours expert-guided tours of the old buildings we visit so we can get maximum value from the trip. We usually travel by carshare but don’t worry if you aren’t able to drive - drivers are always reimbursed.
We try to visit a broad and varied range of old and not so old buildings. The emphasis is on history and architecture rather than just old buildings. If it is of interest we'll make the effort to visit it. As well as stately homes, castles and museums we explore old mills, gentry houses, libraries, civic buildings, follies, abbeys, schools, churches and agricultural buildings. We'll visit any building with architectural or historic interest, or both. We've even visited a signal box and a nuclear bunker!
For more information about the Old Buildings Group and its activities contact the group leader, Les Chandler, via this link.
| Status: | Active, open to new members |
| When: | Visits arranged on an ad-hoc basis |
Above: Browsholme Hall [Les Chandler]
Below: St Andrew's Church [Les Chandler]
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August began and ended for the group with two final visits to Beckside House in Barbon. With its engaging host and old world charm this delightful property never ceases to please. Between those two outings the group spent a day in Bowland, spending the morning at Browsholme Hall and the afternoon in Slaidburn.
Browsholme Hall has been home to the Parker family since 1507 but in the early 17th century the Tudor building was refaced in pink sandstone. With the exception of the Regency Drawing Room the interior of the house has largely retained its Tudor style but only thanks to Thomas Lister Parker who inherited the house in 1796. Collecting fixtures, fittings and furniture from all over the country - marrying odd pieces together where necessary - he restored the house according to his vision of how it would have looked back in the 16th century. But Lister Parker was not the only avid collector in the family. Subsequent generations have decorated the house with a range of strange but fascinating objects. These include a small box filled with dolls dressed as monks and nuns (purpose unknown), a pair of massive postilian boots (made to protect postilians’ toes from being bumped by passing carriages), and a piece of twisted metal recovered from the Zeppelin airship shot down over Potters Bar in 1916.
In Slaidburn Helen Wallbank, of the Slaidburn Archive, gave us a fascinating tour of the village starting with the impressively buttressed St Andrews church. This lovely church is just one of many fine old buildings in the village, not least the John Brennand Endowed School constructed in the early 18th century. This splendid building now serves as a primary school for the Forest of Bowland.