Bedford Hall

Bedford Hall is a late-medieval house in BedfordSuburb of Leigh in Greater Manchester, one of the three ancient townships that merged in 1875 to form the town of Leigh., Leigh, built near the edge of Chat Moss
Large area of peat bog that makes up 30 per cent of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. , east of the Warrington Road. It is one of several medieval halls around Leigh, that included the nearby Sandy Pool Farm, Hopecarr Hall (now demolished), Morleys Hall
Morleys Hall, a moated hall converted into two houses on the edge of Astley Moss in Astley, Greater Manchester, England, was largely rebuilt in the 19th century on the site of a medieval timber house. at Astley and Kirklees Hall at Aspull.^[1] The hall was leased to tenants by the Kighleys, absent lords of the manor of Bedford, and has been modified several times over the centuries, becoming a farmhouse and now two houses.^[2]

In 1291 the hall was in the possession of Adam de Sale, who held it from the de Kighleys. In 1303 William de la Doune was accused of demolishing the hall, which had two chambers and another for esquires which he said was ruinous and unroofed. He pulled it down and cut down 300 trees in Bedford Wood and built a larger hall with two chambers and a kitchen. The Kighleys claimed £40 in damages for pulling down the hall and encroaching on the orchard. William’s defence was that he had permission, he had built a new hall and to find the timber he claimed his right of “husbote and heybote” in the wood, part of which belonged to the hall.^[3]

In 1633 Lathoms lived at Bedford Hall, Elizabeth Lathom was accused of “harboring one Barlowe
English Benedictine monk, venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. … a popish priest” and that many people met there on Sundays and holidays. The Lathoms were there until 1719 and in 1824 Thomas Speakman was the owner.^[4]

Bedford Hall appears to have had a central open hall, a solar wing at the south-west end, and another wing at the north-east. It appears to have been rebuilt and modernised in about 1600 when a ceiling was inserted into the open hall to create a chamber above. In the mid-17th century the timber-framing was replaced by brickwork. Before 1928 the hall was divided into two properties.^[1]