The Hall
The hall we see today was designed by John Carr of York, for Thomas Clifton, and built 1757-1764.

Thomas wanted a house which would make a strong statement about his wealth and position in the county.

For years, the Catholic Cliftons had steadily built up and improved their property and land but were forced to live quietly.

By the third quarter of the 18th century, however, Catholic emancipation was in sight and society's attitudes were changing

history of Lytham Hall

Please follow this link for the History of the Clifton family

The Exterior

Carr constructed the house of brick, with stone dressings. The contrast of the two colours is one of its main charms. The brickwork is Flemish bond (stretcher, header, stretcher). The roof, which is not concealed by a parapet and has a very shallow slope, is of a type that Carr used again and again.

Its ground floor windows differ from the two upper floors in that they have 'Gibbs' surrounds, i.e. every other stone is not carved to shape but left square. Lytham Hall The front door has Doric columns and a pediment. The two upper floors are fronted by tall Ionic columns and the windows are smoothly finished. The pediment above them lost its central coat of arms during the later 20th century. The reason for this difference of emphasis on the floors of the Hall is that its design reflects a transitional stage. Palladian houses had their state rooms on the first floor (called the 'piano nobile'). The ground floor, called the 'rustick', was for everyday family and servants' rooms and could not normally be accessed from the front. Grand steps would lead up to the first floor, as at Tabley Hall, another Carr house, in Cheshire. The newer fashion was to have the formal or state rooms on the ground floor, as here, but the design still retains the heavier detailing of the 'rustick' on the ground floor. There is a large Venetian stair window at the rear. A billiard room with stained glass was added later, also at the rear.

The interior

Inside, the Main hall shows Carr at his best: a dignified well-proportioned room, with bold door cases and a fireplace and ceiling that are rich but not too rich and which sets the tone for the rest of the house. The floor in this room is the original two-tone stone flagging. The Inner Hall The staircase, is the most ambitious feature of the house. A two-storied screen of Corinthian columns crosses one end of the staircase hall; at the foot of this the stairs start in a single central flight, which divides into two at the landing and climbs up to the gallery behind the top half of the screen. The centrepiece is the plaster medallion by Guiseppe Cortese, above the grand 'imperial' stairwell, depicting Jupiter, creator of the universe, surrounded by thunder clouds and clasping a fork of lightning. Light comes from a large Venetian window. The walls are covered by rococo plasterwork depicting Hunting, Shooting, Archery and Music; the actual stair-rail is of wood.

The drawing and dining rooms must have been the last rooms to be completed, for they are decorated with delicate low-relief ornament, of the kind introduced by Adam. The dining room is an especially fine room, dominated by the great circular alcove that contains a sideboard made by Gillow of Lancaster.

The house throughout keeps up a wonderfully high standard of craftsmanship, every bedroom on the first floor, for instance, having a carved wood chimney-piece, of different design; some are large, some small, but all of good quality.

When Thomas Clifton built his new hall it was to replace that of Sir Cuthbert. No new servants quarters were built as the new hall was added on the back of the old, and the old rooms were used as a service wing.

Furnishings

	Much of the contents of the Hall was sold by the extravagant and consequently impoverished Clifton family. There is still much of interest however, in particular family paintings, and furniture made specifically for the Hall by Gillow of Lancaster. There is a selection of china and glassware, and some more recent furniture and items.
click here for larger image

Friends of Lytham Hall
Email: info@lythamhall.org
Registered Charity Number 1069442





The Friends of Lytham Hall are a registered charity acting as a support group for the hall.		We aim to heighten awareness of the Hall and of the Clifton Family, and their importance to the district