Marske Hall

Marske Hall is a grade I listed country house on the north side of Redcar Road in Marske. Originally built in 1625 for Sir William Pennyman, it is now used as a Cheshire Foundation nursing home. The building has undergone significant alterations and additions from the late 19th century onwards, with further modifications made from 1963 for the Cheshire Foundation.

The exterior is constructed of coursed squared stone with a stone plinth, quoins and ashlar dressings. The roof is covered with plain tiles except for the towers, which have stone roofs. The building follows an E-plan layout and presents a symmetrical facade of 2 storeys with 3-storey towers. The main front elevation consists of a 9-bay range arranged in the pattern of 1:3:1:3:1. The end and central towers project forward, whilst the linking sections between them feature central full-height canted bay windows. All windows are stone with chamfered surrounds, mullions and transoms. The central entrance has a boarded door in plain reveals with a stone lintel, and is topped by a glazing-barred mullioned 2-light overlight. Above the door are 2-light windows rising through 3 floors in the right tower, whilst the left tower has 2 windows only. The link sections contain 4-light windows flanking bays of 12 lights, arranged 2:2:4:2:2. Cyma recta hood strings run across the facade except in the left tower, where fenestration breaks through floor levels. The high roof has a parapet with carved putti corbels to projections between small raised segments over windows between towers. The central and right towers have convex pyramidal roofs, whilst the left tower has an ogival eaves to a similar roof. Single dormers sit behind each canted bay and two dormers are positioned in the bay to the right of the door, all with flat heads. Stepped chimneys are located at the right eaves, at the rear of the main roof and on rear ranges. The left return displays a restored 2-light ground-floor window towards the front, a 2-light window towards the rear of the first floor, and 2-light mullioned attic windows with the lower lights wider and the upper blocked, positioned at the front of the centre of the gable peak. The right return has a massive chimney stack, a second projection of unknown purpose, and mullioned and later windows, the latter in a rebuilt section. The rear shows that a single-storey kitchen was extended and raised to 2 storeys, probably in the late 19th century. Carved arms of Pennyman impaling Atherton, now eroded, are positioned above the right projecting bay window. A metal sundial dates from around 1900 and is inscribed with the Latin motto "Vigila oraque" and the date 1679.

The interior of the building contains notable features. The tower porch has an ashlar wall on the left with 3 round-headed niches. An electric lift has been inserted in the left turret. The ground-floor hall is oak panelled and features a stone arcade of 2 elliptical arches running from the porch to the rear service passage. The arches have Corinthian capitals and base spurs to round piers with entasis. The spandrels and keystones are richly carved with vines, trefoil leaves, grotesques and coats of arms, including that of Pennyman. On the right, a new door has been broken through for passage to the rear, with panelling reused to block the door to the front right room. A late 19th-century stone fireplace at the rear left is fitted with a 17th-century style arcaded wood overmantel and shallow wood hood. The hall has wide beams running front to back with visible joists. A keyed round arch at the rear, to the right of the service passage, leads to an early 18th-century open well stair in the rear wing, featuring 2 urn and skittle balusters on each tread, shaped tread ends, ramped grip handrail and turned newels. Some balusters have been renewed, and a panelled ramped dado runs along the stair. The original stair was probably located in the left tower. The kitchen, to the left of the service passage, has narrow and wide elliptical fire arches in the front wall. The dairy to the left reveals external masonry now within the space and a blocked yard arch. The first floor has a front to rear panelled passage running along the lines of beams in the ground floor. The attics show that the right tower closet has chamfered jambs to the door with stops cut away. The central tower has a 20th-century door, whilst the left tower has had a wall removed for insertion of access to the lift, but a cut beam shows the position of the original door. The attic was probably originally a long gallery. The central dormer on each side has 17th-century hinges to casements. Many 18th-century 6-panel doors are found throughout the building, and 17th-century L- and H-hinges are present on the attic floor. The roof shows collar and purlins consistent with A-truss construction.

The building served as Royal Flying Corps quarters during the First World War, Army quarters during the Second World War, and as a school from 1948 to 1958.