Parrox Hall in Preesall is one of the oldest houses in Lancashire. Throughout its long history, it has been continuously occupied by the same family, descendants of the original Lord of the Manor of Preesall-with-Hackensall, Geoffrey the Crossbowman (Galfridus Arbalastarius), a Norman soldier who was installed by Prince John in 1189 and granted six carucates of land.
Most of today’s Parrox Hall dates from the early seventeenth century but a small part of the house is much older. The first reference to it is in a document of 1456 but it is certain that there was a house on the present site long before that. Twenty-six generations after the Crossbowman, and despite the divison of the manor of Preesall-with-Hackensall between four daughters in the fifteenth century and the passage of the estate through the female line on three other occasions, the present occupant of Parrox Hall is still the direct descendant of the original Lord of the Manor.
Perhaps it is this long link with the same family that gives Parrox its unique atmosphere. As the diarist James Lees-Milne noted, it has “great charm… a typical small squire’s homestead.” Perhaps it is the fact that it is not ‘grand’ but simply a “small squire’s homestead,” belonging firmly to this corner of Lancashire, that makes it special. Perhaps it is the fact that , as the Daily Telegraph’s Hugh Massingberd observed, “Inside Parrox, as you negotiate your way from one bedroom to the next – there are no passageways – you feel cocooned in another age.”
It is as though the walls are still impregnated with the spirit of previous generations, whether in the “supremely atmospheric hall” or in the old bedrooms with their magnificent collection of four–poster beds (“I have never seen a house with such a number and variety of splendid four-poster beds,” said Hugh Massingberd). Despite the numerous inevitable alterations and modernisations to the house over the years, it still retains its special feel. As James Lees-Milne wrote, “One feels that the mode of life at Parrox Hall has not changed since the house was built.”
The late Squire, Daniel Hope Elletson, believed that Parrox was a very special place, part of the heritage not only of his family but also of the local community. He established the Parrox Hall Preservation Trust to preserve the Hall for the benefit of future generations, believing that he and his family were trustees of an important historical asset, which could best be safeguarded by a partnership between the family and the Over Wyre community of which it has always been a part. The Trust is currently undertaking a number of conservation and restoration initiatives and we would welcome your support.
We share Daniel Hope Elletson’s vision and, whether you are from Over Wyre or beyond, we are delighted to welcome you to Parrox Hall. We hope you will enjoy your visit to this site and share with us your impressions and memories. If you would like to visit the Hall or get involved in any of our activities or volunteering initiatives, please let us know.
Parrox Hall is currently only open to visitors by appointment. However, it is hoped that, following the completion of an extensive programme of restoration and conservation, the house will be open to visitors on several days next year. For further information, please watch this site or leave us with your contact information and we will send you an email to let you have full details of opening times etc.
Parrox Hall is a member of the Historic Houses Association