Historic House in the Heart of Lancashire

This Father’s Day I enjoyed a visit to one of the most impressive historic houses in the North West. Hoghton Tower is one of the finest Renaissance buildings in the country and I was surprised at just how much there is to see at the venue.

Elevated on a hilltop just outside the village of Hoghton (between Blackburn and Preston), the fortified manor house is a fantastic site at the top of a long straight driveway that leads through the extensive grounds.

Hoghton Tower Historic House Lancashire
 
Old Black Wooden Door at Hoghton Tower
 

The Grand Tour

As part of our visit we joined a guided tour of the house. The hour and a half tour allows visitors to explore a large proportion of the house and gives an insight into its rich and colourful past.

As so much of the house is open to the public you can get a real sense of what it may have been like to live, work or stay at this historic venue throughout the ages. The tour provides access to numerous state rooms, a fabulous Banqueting Hall, underground passages and dungeons.

Highlights outside the building include the impressive courtyards and the Tudor gardens with castellated walls, turrets and ramparts.

Unfortunately there is a no photography policy inside Hoghton Tower so I can only include some pictures of the exterior of the house and the walled gardens.

Tudor Gardens at Hoghton Tower
 
Archway in the gardens of Hoghton Tower

 

A Rich History

Hoghton Tower was originally built on the site in 1109AD before being re-created as a fortified manor house in 1565, sharing a similar history to that of another historic Lancashire house – Gawthorpe Hall.

Some of the most interesting stories of Hoghton Tower relate to famous visitors. Royal visits were a huge event and guests throughout the centuries included James I, William III, George V and Queen Mary and more recently, Price Philip the Duke of Edinburgh.

William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens visited the Hall as did JMW Turner.

View from the gardens of Hoghton Tower
 
Pathway in the Tudor Gardens of Hoghton Tower