Broughton Tower

Description

House, now school, incorporating C14 pele tower with vaulter basement which was extended to the south in the mid/late C18. The wings were added in 1882-3 and the building was further extended in C18. Stone-built, with slate roofs. Also former site of a dovecote, no longer surviving above ground. (PastScape)

It consists of what appears to be a 14th-century keep, or tower-house, incorporated into a modern mansion, but except for the external walls very little of the original structure remains, nearly all its distinguishing architectural features having been lost in successive alterations and rebuildings. The tower is rectangular in plan, measuring internally 42 ft. 6 in. by 32 ft., the greater length being from north to south, with walls varying in thickness from 5 ft. to 7 ft., constructed of rubble masonry with red sandstone quoins, and terminating in an embattled parapet. The keep consists of a basement and three upper stories, but externally it is only visible its full height of about 60 ft. on the north side, where it remains, with the exception of the windows, substantially unaltered. (VCH)

House, now school. C14 pele tower, extended to south mid to late C18, wings added 1882-3, C20 additions. Stone rubble with ashlar dressings and slate roofs. South facade of 2 storeys with basement and 8 bays, 3-bay centre breaks forward, 1st and 7th and 8th bays form projecting wings. Quoins and coped embattled parapet. Ogee-headed windows have architraves and are sashed, with glazing bars, with octagonal and square quarries and intersecting glazing bars to heads, but wings have single glazing bars and Y tracery heads. Porch has embattled parapet and ogee-headed entrance up steps, with clustered shafts, pinnacles and fleuron. 3-storey pele tower visible to rear, with embattled parapet and blind Diocletian window. Cross-axial stacks. North elevation has pele tower to centre with embattled parapet with escutcheon. Pointed windows, paired with balcony to ground floor, similar windows to returns. Flanking lean-to bays to returns have gable-end stacks; low C20 single storey projections. Wing to east has 3-storey round tower to angle. Windows are pointed with sashes. Wing to west has square turret and 2-storey, 2 bay service wing with smaller wing to west; sashed windows and hipped roof. S Rainwater heads dated: "ES/1777", "R C7/17/44" and "IS/1837". West elevation has ogee-headed windows as to south elevation and ogee-headed entrance. Interior has rooms with ribbed ceilings. Hall has dog leg stair with open string and 2 balusters to the tread. Landing has 2 segmental arches. Re-set French early C16 portal has shaped pediment. Dining room has re-set Italian Renaissance chimney piece. Vaulted basement and spiral stair to former pele tower. (Listed Building Report)

Comments

Originally a large and vaulted chamber block tower attached to a, now lost, hall. Although this came into the hands of the Earl of Derby in 1487 it was built by the gentry status de Brocton family.