Old Hall Museum

REDCAR KIRKLEATHAM NZ 52 SE 4/62 Old Hall Museum (formerly 14.6.52 listed as Kirkleatham Old Hall - II*

School, 1708/09, probably by Robert Hooke. Roof renewed c.1900; restored and C18 and C19 extensions removed 1978-1984. Now a museum. Sandstone ashlar centre and basement; brick with sandstone dressings to wings and rear. Welsh slate roof and rebuilt brick stacks. "H"-plan with central school flanked by houses for master and usher. Tall single-storey, 3-bay centre, flanked by 2-storey, 2-bay, slightly-projecting wings; all with attic storey and basement. Central giant Roman Doric order, with triglyphs and guttae, under continuous heavily-moulded cornice. Pilaster strips to attic storey and basement. Round-headed central doorway up 6 semicircular steps : renewed 4-panel double doors, cornice head and fanlight with glazing bars in panelled reveal; architrave and chamfered-rusticated surround with impost strings and double keystone. Marble tablet above with inscription recording school foundation. Flanking paired circular windows, with architraves and radial glazing, above 2-bay arcading with moulded imposts (archivolts missing) holding false sashes with glazing bars and moulded sills. Giant segmental pediment in middle bay of attic storey, flanked by paired square renewed sashes in architraves. Wings have chamfered quoins, and quoin strips to basement and attic. Renewed sashes, with glazing bars and moulded sills in architraves. 2-light mullioned basement windows, blocked or with renewed louvres. Hipped roof with 2 transverse ridge stacks, behind straight parapet with string and copings. 7-bay returns have central renewed 3-panel double doors and blocked overlights in eared architraves under entablatures with suspended pilasters, up 3 renewed steps. Similar windows and cornice. Rear shows restored fenestration similar to front, but with door in plain surround under round-headed window. 2-bay projecting wings have similar treatment. Inner returns have plain doorways and mullioned first-floor and attic-floor windows, in angle. Interior: Large restored central hall with coved ceiling cornice. Ground-floor rooms in wings have moulded panelled ceilings. East wing has altered dogleg staircase with turned balusters, square coupled and single, panelled newel posts and heavily-moulded handrail and string. Foundation stone in basement of east wing dated 1708. The school still operates as Sir William Turner's 6th Form College, in new premises.

Listing NGR: NZ5937421796