The Hall

The Hall is a country house built in 1824 by John Dobson for William Lawson. It is constructed of ashlar, with tooled-and-margined sandstone in the service wings, and has slate roofs. The main house is a square villa with a lower block and a pair of service wings to the north, connected to a conservatory via a north-east link. The building is in the Greek Revival style.

The west entrance front has two storeys and three bays. The central bay projects with a pedimented portico featuring giant Corinthian columns, set in antis, with modillions and anthemion ornament. Two steps lead up to the portico where a pair of panelled double doors sits within an architrave, topped by a tall three-pane overlight with a cornice resting on carved consoles. A margined sash window sits above, also with a carved cornice. The interior of the portico has a coffered stone ceiling. Flanking bays have a moulded plinth, Corinthian angle pilasters, and tall margined sashes in architraves that extend down to the plinth; the upper windows are within shallower, eared architraves. A full entablature runs across the front, mirroring that of the portico. A hipped roof is topped with two corniced transverse stacks on the rear slope. To the left is a lower, five-bay section with a similar entablature and a projecting bay to the left. This section has moulded plinth and sill bands, with 12-pane sashes to the ground floor and margined sashes above; the left bay has 15-pane sashes in corniced architraves. A six-bay, irregular service wing is set to the far left.

The south front features similar detailing with five bays, the central one being a semicircular bow with lower windows featuring carved consoles. The east front is again similar with five bays. Three steps lead up to a French window in bay four. A lower, five-bay service block is situated to the right, linked to the conservatory at the end.

The interior features a spectacular ashlar-faced central hall, oblong in shape with apsidal ends. The imperial staircase, which opens underneath an Ionic screen, has a wrought-iron balustrade with an anthemion frieze and a moulded, wreathed handrail. The balustrade continues around a landing balcony. Coffered vaults feature carved spandrels and a central glazed dome. The library and dining room contain rich plasterwork. The drawing-room has a plain marble fireplace, while contemporary doors and panelled reveals are found throughout. The Hall is considered to be one of Dobson's most significant country houses.