ABOUT US - OUR HISTORY & HERITAGE
All about us!
OUR HISTORY & HERITAGE
The first mention of Sparth House as a dwelling dates back to 1455, with the main house being built in 1740. Nearly 600 years of history and family surrounds the building that we now know as Sparth House.
“A stunning, family-run manor house dating from 1740”
Many families have been in ownership of Sparth House through the years. One of the most interesting must be the Cunliffe Family, notably Robert Cunliffe and his daughter Jennet Cunliffe. Robert Cunliffe was the first Member of Parliament for East Lancashire. By 1653, Cunliffe was also made a member of Oliver Cromwell's Council of Notables or House of Commons. Unfortunately in December 1653, Robert Cunliffe died leaving Sparth House to his daughter Jennet Cunliffe.
In 1653, we had our very own Romeo & Juliet love story unfold. Even though Jennet was a Protestant, she fell in love with a Catholic man, John Grimshaw.
The Church did all it could to try and split the couple up, however Jennet was not for giving up her love. The consequences were that she was not only outcast from the Church but she was shunned by everyone in the community. It didn’t seem to dampen the love between Jennet & John though, in 1655 they were married.
Later in 1836, the then owner, John Lomax, enlarged and renovated the house to make it more fitting for his new bride. He wanted to ensure that they had the perfect home to spend the rest of their lives in.
Sparth House has been passed through many families. In more recent history Sparth House was turned from a family home to an antiques house before being transformed into a hotel. Even thought the house has been redecorated on numerous occasions and in more recent years had large renovations, it has continued to retain it's history and character. Take one of our Suites for an example, Room 22 boasts the furniture from the sister ship to the Titanic, RS Olympic, the furniture was purchased during the property's time as an antiques house.
Sparth House is currently owned and ran by a family with a dedicated team that we see as an extension of the owning family. The entire Sparth House team are very proud of the history of the property and also the important part the house has played in many weddings and family celebrations.
With the continued refurbishment, improvements and exciting plans, we are looking forward to see what the future holds for this beautiful historic Georgian manor home.
If you like what you see so far, then we’ve plenty more for you…
Katie
Wedding Coordinator
Our lovely Katie comes from a fashion background, so not only very creative and organised but super passionate about weddings. A winning combination!
She loves it when couples push the boundaries and try different ideas for their weddings, so don’t be scared to ask her to create any weird and wonderful concepts you may have!
What is Katie’s favourite part of a wedding? “When the wedding couple come out of the ceremony room once they are married, they are so happy and it’s lovely being one of the first people to congratulate them!”
What else should we know about Katie? She is a Mum to some very cute kitties!