Alkincoats Hall

Alkincoats Hall
Former location in the Borough of Pendle
General information
Status	Demolished
Town or city	Colne
Country	England
Coordinates	53°51′51″N 2°11′11″W / 53.8643°N 2.1863°W / 53.8643; -2.1863
Completed	1575
Demolished	1957

Alkincoats Hall was a country house in Colne, Lancashire, England. Part of the estate in which the hall stood is now the 35 acre (14 ha) Alkincoats public park.

Originally built in the north of the estate in 1575, the hall was enlarged in 1720.

History

Alkincoats was once an estate owned by the de Alkincoats family which in 1570 comprised several estates held by John Parker, a descendant of the de Alkincoats, and James de Walton. It was the home of a branch of the Parker family of Browsholme, who were park keepers for the King's forest of Bowland.^[1]

The hall and its estate were bought by Robert Parker (1662–1714). It passed down through Parker family from father to son via Thomas, Robert (1720–1758), Thomas (1754–1819), a Justice of the Peace (J.P.) and Deputy Lieutenant {D.L.} of Lancashire, to Thomas Parker (died 1832), an Army captain, J.P. and D.L. who also bought Browsholme Hall from his cousin. On his early death he was succeeded by his younger brother Edward (1786–1865), also a J.P. and D.L., who left it to his son Thomas Goulburne Parker (1818–1879) a barrister-at-law, J.P. and D.L. for the West Riding of Yorkshire and also J.P. for Lancashire. Thomas Goulburne had three sons, the eldest of which was Edward (1846–1894) who died childless, as a result of which ownership passed to his younger brother, Colonel John Robinson Parker (1857-1938), who later fought in the Boer War.^[2]

In 1921 the 92½ acre (37.5 ha) estate was sold to Colne Borough Council by Colonel Parker for the sum of £24,082 and partly used as a public park.^[3] The hall was demolished in 1957 because of structural problems. The estate lodge, now a private house, is a grade II listed building.^[4] The park has held Green Flag status each year since 2009.

References