# Wardley Hall

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Building in Greater Manchester, England

Wardley Hall Interactive map of the Wardley Hall area General information Architectural style Medieval Location Wardley, Worsley, Salford, Greater Manchester, England Coordinates 53°30′57″N 2°22′01″W / 53.51589°N 2.36697°W / 53.51589; -2.36697 Completed c. 1500 Design and construction Designations Listed Building – Grade I Official name Wardley Hall Designated 29 July 1966 Reference no. 1215022

**Wardley Hall** is an early [medieval](/source/Medieval_architecture) [manor house](/source/Manor_house) and a Grade I [listed building](/source/Listed_building) in the [Wardley](/source/Wardley%2C_Greater_Manchester) area of [Worsley](/source/Worsley), Salford, in [Greater Manchester](/source/Greater_Manchester) (historically within [Lancashire](/source/Lancashire)).[1] There has been a moat on the site since at least 1292. The current hall dates from around 1500 but was extensively rebuilt in the 19th and 20th centuries.[2] Wardley Hall is the official residence of the Catholic [Bishop of Salford](/source/Bishop_of_Salford).[3]

The skull of [St Ambrose Barlow](/source/Ambrose_Barlow), one of the [Forty Martyrs of England and Wales](/source/Forty_Martyrs_of_England_and_Wales), is preserved in a [niche](/source/Niche_(architecture)) at the top of the main staircase.[4] He was [hanged, drawn and quartered](/source/Hanged%2C_drawn_and_quartered) at [Lancaster](/source/Lancaster%2C_Lancashire) on 10 September 1641 after confessing to being a [Catholic](/source/Roman_Catholic) priest.[5]

## History

Wardley Hall in 1890

A moat has been on the site of the hall from at least 1292,[4] however the current house was built by [Thurstan Tyldesley](/source/Thurstan_Tyldesley) during the reign of [Edward VI](/source/Edward_VI), and remained in the Tyldesley family possession until the late 16th-century.[6][7] Politician and lawyer [Roger Downes](/source/Roger_Downes) bought Wardley Hall in 1601, and it was owned by his family for three generations.[7][8]

In 1760, [Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater](/source/Francis_Egerton%2C_3rd_Duke_of_Bridgewater) bought various estates around Lancashire including Wardley Hall. After his death, his estates, including the hall was left in trust to his nephew [George Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland](/source/George_Leveson-Gower%2C_1st_Duke_of_Sutherland) and the latter's son [Francis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere](/source/Francis_Egerton%2C_1st_Earl_of_Ellesmere).[7]

Captain Thomas Nuttall began living at the hall from 1919 or 1920, while he was serving with the [Royal Field Artillery](/source/Royal_Field_Artillery) in Germany. He bought the hall for £5000 in 1924. After learning that the planned [East Lancashire Road](/source/A580_road) would cut through the estate, Nuttall decided to move away from the hall. He offered the hall to the [Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford](/source/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Salford) in 1928, who declined due to financial restraints. However, after Nuttall's representatives learned that the diocese was looking for land to use as a cemetery to the west of [Manchester](/source/Manchester), they re-entered negotiations. A deal was reached on 12 May 1930, when the diocese agreed to pay £7500 for the hall's surrounding land, with Nuttall offering the hall for free, with a stipulation that it would be preserved and use in accordance with its historic and respected condition. From then onwards, Wardley Hall has been the official residence of the [Bishop of Salford](/source/Bishop_of_Salford).[7]

On 29 July 1966, Wardley Hall was designated as a Grade I [listed building](/source/Listed_building).[4]

## Ambrose Barlow's skull

[Ambrose Barlow](/source/Ambrose_Barlow) was a Roman Catholic priest active in Lancashire during the 17th-century.[9] He frequently visited Wardley Hall to conduct [Catholic Mass](/source/Catholic_Mass) and to visit the Downes family, his cousins.[10] In March 1641, all Catholic priests in Britain were ordered to leave the country within one month or face the threat of execution. Barlow, who was ill at the time, refused to leave and was arrested after celebrating Easter Mass and was sentenced to death.[5][11] On 10 September 1641, Barlow was [hung, drawn and quartered](/source/Hung%2C_drawn_and_quartered) and boiled in oil. His head was afterwards displayed on a spike outside the [Collegiate Church](/source/Manchester_Cathedral) in Manchester.[5][12] A member of the Downes family managed to acquire the skull and placed it in a niche at the top of the stairs.[7][5]

During renovations in 1745, one of the hall's chapel walls was removed and the skull was rediscovered in a casket. It was described as having "a goodly set of teeth and having on it a good deal of auburn hair".[7] It is alleged that after its rediscovery, the skull was thrown into the moat; afterwards, the hall was ravaged by intense storms. So, it was ordered that the moat be drained and the skull was returned to its original position. According to legend, whenever the skull is moved, misfortune will fall upon the house.[5][13]

For a time, the skull was thought to belong to Roger Downes, who is claimed to have died in a drunken fight which severed his head. However, when his body was exhumed from the Downes family vault, his head was intact apart from a small piece missing from his skull.[11] During a forensic examination in 1960, it was identified that the skull belonged to a man aged between 50 and 60 years old, which matches the age of Barlow. It was also determined that a sharp object had been pierced through the head, which matches a spike.[5]

In 1970, Barlow and [thirty-nine others](/source/Forty_Martyrs_of_England_and_Wales) who died during the [Reformation](/source/Reformation) were canonised by [Pope Paul VI](/source/Pope_Paul_VI).[5]

## Architecture

The building is a quadrangular [timber framed](/source/Timber_framing) with a slate roof. It was originally surrounded by a moat, however only a portion still survives on the west side of the hall. The Great Hall is one of the earliest surviving parts of the building and dates from the late 15th or early 16th century.[1]

In 1561, the hall's founder Thurstan Tyldesley was granted an oratory license. He built a private chapel inside the gatehouse to the north of the hall.[7] During the early 17th-century, Wardley Hall contained more than twenty bedrooms.[8]

A major restoration was carried out by [John Douglas](/source/John_Douglas_(English_architect)) in 1894.[2] Other restorations were carried out in 1734 and 1904.[1]

## See also

- [Greater Manchester portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Greater_Manchester)

- [Grade I listed buildings in Greater Manchester](/source/Grade_I_listed_buildings_in_Greater_Manchester)

- [Listed buildings in Worsley](/source/Listed_buildings_in_Worsley)

- [List of houses and associated buildings by John Douglas](/source/List_of_houses_and_associated_buildings_by_John_Douglas)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Images_of_England_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Images_of_England_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Images_of_England_1-2) ["Wardley Hall"](http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=44262). *Heritage Gateway*. Retrieved 14 July 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Hartwell_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Hartwell_2-1) Hartwell, Clare; Matthew Hyde; [Nikolaus Pevsner](/source/Nikolaus_Pevsner) (2004). *The Buildings of England: Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East*. New Haven: [Yale University Press](/source/Yale_University_Press). p. 673. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-300-10583-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-300-10583-5).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Nicholson, Sue (29 May 2016). ["Elbows, skulls and holy hands: Venerating England's saintly relics"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-36398287). *BBC News*. BBC.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-NHLE_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-NHLE_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-NHLE_4-2) [Historic England](/source/Historic_England). ["Wardley Hall (1215022)"](https://HistoricEngland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1215022?section=official-list-entry). *[National Heritage List for England](/source/National_Heritage_List_for_England)*. Retrieved 14 July 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Hulme_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Hulme_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Hulme_5-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Hulme_5-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Hulme_5-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Hulme_5-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-Hulme_5-6) Hulme, Michala (7 September 2016). [*Bloody British History: Manchester*](https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bloody_British_History_Manchester/_oaPDAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0). History Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780750978972](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780750978972).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Camm, Bede](/source/Bede_Camm) (2004). [*Forgotten Shrines An Account of Some Old Catholic Halls and Families in England and of Relics and Memorials of the English Martyrs*](https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Forgotten_Shrines/anpVguz_mlMC?hl=en&gbpv=0). Gracewing. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780852446157](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780852446157).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Diocese_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Diocese_7-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Diocese_7-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Diocese_7-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Diocese_7-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Diocese_7-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-Diocese_7-6) ["Wardley Hall"](https://dioceseofsalford.org.uk/diocese/visiting-us/wardley-hall/). *Diocese of Salford*. Retrieved 14 July 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-HOP_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-HOP_8-1) ["DOWNES, Roger (d.1638), of Wardley Hall, Lancs"](http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/downes-roger-1638). *History of Parliament Online*. Retrieved 14 July 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Freethy, Ron (2004). [*Riverside Rambles Along the Mersey*](https://www.google.com/books/edition/Riverside_Rambles_Along_the_Mersey/ONaOD8C8_8oC?hl=en&gbpv=0). Sigma Leisure. p. 60. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781850588122](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781850588122).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Blessed Ambrose Barlow, O.S.B."](https://web.archive.org/web/20030804214618/http://www.stambrosebarlow.co.uk/visitor/html/ambrose.htm) St Ambrose Barlow. Archived from [the original](http://www.stambrosebarlow.co.uk/visitor/html/ambrose.htm) on 4 August 2003. Retrieved 14 July 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Fields_11-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Fields_11-1) Fields, Kenneth (1998). [*Lancashire Magic & Mystery Secrets of the Red Rose County*](https://www.google.com/books/edition/Lancashire_Magic_Mystery/enpHZBBfsCoC?hl=en&gbpv=0). Sigma. pp. 75–76. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781850586067](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781850586067).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Glendinning, Amy (12 January 2013). ["Only saint in the south"](https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/only-saint-in-the-south-933990). *Manchester Evening News*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Brown, Ben (26 October 2021). ["Haunted Manchester: The Screaming Skull of Wardley Hall"](https://www.manchestersfinest.com/articles/haunted-manchester-the-screaming-skull-of-wardley-hall/). *Manchester's Finest*.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Wardley Hall](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Wardley_Hall).

- [1898 – Wardley Hall, Lancashire](http://archiseek.com/2009/1898-wardley-hall-lancashire/#.URDe7_dFCM8)

v t e Buildings and structures in the City of Salford, England Italics denote building under construction High-rises (over 100 metres) Cortland at Colliers Yard (153m) Anaconda Cut (131m) Bankside at Colliers Yard (129m) Affinity Living Riverview (110m) X1 Michigan Towers Building 3 (109m) Embankment Exchange (107m) Eda (101m) Highrises (over 50 metres) X1 Media City Tower 1 (85m) X1 Media City Tower 2 (85m) X1 Media City Tower 3 (85m) North Tower (80m) Salford Shopping Centre (75m) Peel House (55m) Notable lowrises Boothstown Mines Rescue Station Centenary Building Forest Bank Islington Mill Kersal Priory Lowry Hotel Ordsall Hall Peel Building Port Salford Public Baths Salford Civic Centre Salford Lads' Club Salford Museum and Art Gallery Salford Royal Hospital Salford Town Hall Threlfalls Brewery Wardley Hall Waterpark Hall Working Class Movement Library Worsley Court House Worsley Old Hall Places of worship Salford Cathedral Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation Monton Unitarian Church Sacred Trinity Church St Andrew's St Augustine's St Clement's St James' St Luke's St Mark's St Mary the Virgin, Eccles St Mary the Virgin, Ellenbrook St Paul's St Peter's St Philip's St Thomas' Transportation Anchorage Broadway Clifton Eccles Interchange Eccles Exchange Quay Harbour City Irlam Ladywell Langworthy Manchester Barton Aerodrome Moorside MediaCity UK Patricroft Salford Central Salford Crescent Salford Quays Swinton Walkden Weaste Shopping centres Salford Shopping Centre Swinton Square The Lowry Public houses Black Friar Coach and Horses, Weaste The Crescent The Crown Eagle Inn The Ellesmere The Grapes, Eccles King's Arms Lamb Hotel, Eccles The Maypole Punch Bowl Queen's Arms, Patricroft Royal Oak, Eccles White Horse, Swinton Sports and entertainment Broughton Cricket Club Ground The Cliff CorpAcq Stadium Manchester Tennis and Racquet Club Moor Lane Victoria Theatre The White Hotel Memorials Mark Addy Joseph Brotherton Charles Hallé Clifton Hall Colliery Disaster Oliver Heywood Bridges Albert Bridge Barton Road Swing Bridge Barton Swing Aqueduct Blackfriars Bridge Cadishead Viaduct Clifton Aqueduct Clifton Viaduct Irwell Railway bridge Media City Footbridge Palatine Bridge Salford Quays Bridge Southern Railway Viaduct Trinity Bridge Victoria Bridge Lists Castles Churches Grade I listed Grade II* listed Mills Monuments Schools Tallest Listed buildings in Eccles Irlam Salford Swinton and Pendlebury Worsley

v t e Diocese of Salford Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford Bishops of Salford I: William Turner II: Herbert Vaughan III: John Bilsborrow IV: Louis Casartelli V: Thomas Henshaw VI: Henry Marshall VII: George Beck VIII: Thomas Holland IX: Patrick Kelly X: Terence Brain (Bishop Emeritus) XI: John Arnold Churches Salford Cathedral - Cathedral Church of St John the Evangelist St Anne's Church, Blackburn Pleasington Priory St Patrick's Church, Bolton Church of St Mary of the Assumption, Burnley St Marie's Church, Bury St Michael and St John Church, Clitheroe St Mary's Church, Manchester (Hidden Gem) Church of the Holy Name of Jesus, Manchester Manchester Oratory Gorton Monastery St Wilfrid's Church, Hulme Corpus Christi Priory Christ Church, Nelson Our Lady and St Joseph Church, Heywood Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St Patrick Church, Oldham St John the Baptist Church, Rochdale St Peter's Church, Stonyhurst St Ann's, Stretford All Saints' Church, Urmston Patronal Feasts of the Diocese Saint Joseph (19 March) Our Lady of Mount Carmel (16 July) Schools Mount Carmel Roman Catholic High School, Accrington St Damian's Roman Catholic Science College, Ashton-under-Lyne Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School, Bamber Bridge Our Lady and St John Catholic College, Blackburn St Mary's College, Blackburn Thornleigh Salesian College, Bolton Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, Burnley Holy Cross College, Bury St Gabriel's Roman Catholic High School, Bury Ss John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High School, Colne St Thomas More Roman Catholic College, Denton The Barlow Roman Catholic High School, Didsbury St Patrick's Roman Catholic High School, Eccles Mount St Joseph School, Farnworth Holy Family Roman Catholic and Church of England College, Heywood St Joseph's Roman Catholic High School, Horwich St Cecilia's Roman Catholic High School, Longridge Loreto College, Manchester Our Lady's Roman Catholic High School, Manchester St Bede's College, Manchester St Matthew's Roman Catholic High School, Manchester St Peter's Roman Catholic High School, Manchester Xaverian College, Manchester Blessed John Henry Newman Roman Catholic College, Oldham St Monica's High School, Prestwich All Saints' Catholic High School, Rawtenstall All Hallows Roman Catholic High School, Salford St Anne's RC Voluntary Academy, Stockport Stella Maris School, Stockport Stonyhurst College Stonyhurst Saint Mary's Hall St Antony's Roman Catholic School, Urmston St Ambrose Barlow Roman Catholic High School, Wardley See also Apostolic Vicariate of the Lancashire District Wardley Hall St Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery, Wardley John Vaughan Geoffrey Burke Category

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Wardley Hall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wardley_Hall) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wardley_Hall?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.