Howick House in Penwortham
and the Relics from
Preston's Second Town Hall
Generally, I either spot something on my travels and photograph it, or alternatively learn about it online and then go and photograph it. This time I did the later, as far as finding it online goes, but I honestly didn't think that the item was around anymore to photograph.
It was another one of the Internet Rabbit Warren exercises. I started off with a picture of Howick House that was included in an illustration within the book 'Gamonia'. When I previously posted that online, somebody questioned in the comments whether Howick House was now, and had been for some time, Galloways (Galloway's Society for the Blind). One thing led to another.
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| Howick from Blashaw Wood. Gamonia the Art of Preserving Game. |
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| Howick on the Ordnance Survey map drawn in the late 1840s. |
Howick House
In the process of trying to find more information about Howick House and perhaps more pictures or photographs, I came across one that seemed unusual. There were two substantial columns positioned either side of a 'driveway' on the approach to the house. It became apparent from the accompanying information that they once belonged to the Town Hall in Preston. No, no, not that one. They came from an earlier building that preceded the Sir George Gilbert Scott ill fated iteration.
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| Howick House and the Relics from Preston's Second Town Hall |
The two columns on display in the photograph had once been from a set of four that previously surrounded a tower on the Town Hall. The first town hall was a medieval structure built on the south side of the Market Square, which collapsed in June 1780. It was replaced by a second Town Hall, which was a brick building built on the same site in 1782 and augmented by a cupola in 1814. The columns, I presume were related to this later cupola structure on the second Town Hall.
There are a handful of photographs and illustrations that capture the second Town Hall, which survived until the 1860s. It is easy to see the columns on them.
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| Site of Miller Arcade, Preston 1850 by Edwin Beattie. Preston Digital Archive. |
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| Fishergate circa 1860 by Robert Clarke. Preston Digital Archive. |
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| Back of the old Town Hall, 1860, built in 1781, swept away 1862. |
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| Preston Town Hall. Lancashire County Council Red Rose collections. |
There really isn't much of an explanation of how the columns ended up at Howick House, or whether all four of them did. Sadly, there isn't any information about the original architect(s) involved in the construction of the second Town Hall. On revisiting the Photograph of the approach to Howick House, I noticed that all four columns were actually in the photo. There were the two that I first spotted in the foreground, but there were also another two closer to the house.
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| Preston Town Hall. Lancashire County Council Red Rose collections. |
The next part pf the story revealed that the columns may actually still be there. I discovered a photograph, by the late Heather Crook (Middle Ford Miss). This showed the top of one of the columns. Her caption said, "Town Hall Column. In the gardens of Galloways, Howick Hall." The photograph was taken in July 2011. There was also another photo with somebody, which I think is Heather, stood next to the column.
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| Town Hall Column In the gardens of Galloways (Middle Ford Miss) |
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| Town Hall Column In the gardens of Galloways (Middle Ford Miss) |
Interested in learning whether the column was still there, and if the other three were also there too, I attempted to contact Galloways. I didn't hear anything back.
The next twist of fate saw my neighbour Charlotte working at Galloways. I spoke to her, explained the story, and she kindly invited me over to have a look. As far as we can tell there are only two left and they are in the same spot were Heather photographed them. Only one of them has a top on, which is known as a 'capital' in architectural terms. More specifically, it is Corinthian capital. I am not sure where the other capital is now, or indeed where the other two columns are.
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| Howick House in Penwortham and Relics from Preston's Town Hall |
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| Howick House in Penwortham and Relics from Preston's Town Hall |
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| Howick House in Penwortham and Relics from Preston's Town Hall |
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| Howick House in Penwortham and Relics from Preston's Town Hall |
Howick House Architect
Kendal architect George Webster designed Howick House for William Rawstorne in 1835. It was in a Jacobean style with a veranda and diamond set chimneys. It was situated within extensive grounds. Penwortham Priory and The Oaks were both designed by Webster, and the building sits within the Town of Penwortham as a landmark in the Howick ward. Webster designed many buildings as an architect, but notably he also designed Bank Hall in Bretherton locally.
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| Howick House designed by Kendal architect George Webster |
Galloway's Society for the Blind
Galloway's Society for the Blind, also known as Galloways, is a charity based in Lancashire, England, which supports people with sight loss. It is one of Lancashire's oldest charities, established in 1867 following a public meeting in the Corn Exchange, Preston. It was originally the Preston Industrial Institute for the Blind, then the Institute for Blind Welfare and until 2000 the Preston and North Lancashire Blind Welfare Society. It is now named after William Wilding Galloway, a cotton merchant from Preston who left £40,000 to local charities including £10,000 to the society when he died in 1936. The Society renamed itself in July 2000, to avoid its cumbersome previous name which was commonly abbreviated to the ambiguous "The Blind Society" and to honour its greatest benefactor.
At this stage, the transition from the Rawstorne family ownership of Howick House, to it's use by Galloway's isn't clear. Records just say that Howick House was donated to the charity by the William Wilding Galloway Charity during 1997/98.
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| Howick House designed by Kendal architect George Webster |
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| Howick House designed by Kendal architect George Webster |
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| Howick House designed by Kendal architect George Webster |
Galloways are celebrating their 160th anniversary next year. On the run up to this, they are gathering information about their history. The story of the Town Hall columns in their gardens will be part of this, I'm sure.
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A big thank you to Charlotte for inviting me over to have a look. Whilst I didn't answer every question, after more than twelve months, I feel like I have closed the loop on my investigation.
Galloways Charlotte
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558500766766
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Sources of information and further reading
Howick (or Howick House) from the Lancashire County Council Red Rose collections.
https://redrosecollections.lancashire.gov.uk/view-item?i=214042
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Preston Town Hall (Old Town Hall, Fishergate, and Church Street shops, Preston) from the Lancashire County Council Red Rose collections.
https://redrosecollections.lancashire.gov.uk/view-item?i=213762
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Galloways, Howick Hall, Penwortham.
Courtesy of the late Heather Crook (Middle Ford Miss).
https://www.flickr.com/photos/heathercrook/11203715784/
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Column from the old Town Hall in Preston
In the gardens of Howick Hall - Galloways
Courtesy of the late Heather Crook (Middle Ford Miss).
https://www.flickr.com/photos/heathercrook/11203734596/
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Fishergate circa 1860 by Robert Clarke (1823-1897)
From the Preston Digital Archive.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rpsmithbarney/4423050525/
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Site of Miller Arcade, Preston 1850. A watercolour by Edwin Beattie. From the Preston Digital Archive.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rpsmithbarney/4617082885
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Back of the old Town Hall, Preston 1860. This property was built in 1781 and served the town until early 1862. From the Preston Digital Archive.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rpsmithbarney/5116692760
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Ordnance Survey First Edition Maps from 1848
National Library of Scotland
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Howick from Blashaw Wood
Gamonia - Or to give it its full title, 'Gamonia: or, the Art of Preserving Game'.
https://www.mylancs.uk/2025/03/gamonia-or-to-give-it-its-full-title.html
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