The Orchards (Divided Into Lower And Upper Flats And Orchard Cottage)

The Orchards, originally the service wing of Puddington Hall, dates from around 1760 and has been divided into three flats: lower and upper flats and Orchard Cottage. It was built for the Stanley-Massey family and features Flemish bond red brick on two sides, with red sandstone dressings. The building has a hipped Welsh slate roof and three ridge brick chimneys. It has a long rectangular plan with a two-storey, eight-bay south-east front, which includes a stone plinth and a simple brick cornice. The front is characterized by recessed 12-pane sash windows with heavy glazing bars, set under cambered brick heads and with stone sills. An addition at the left end has a door on the first floor, accessed by a flight of steps between stone-coped walls, which led to the former Catholic Chapel. The north-west front features a large number of altered openings. Inside, Orchard Cottage has heavy ceiling beams, while the chapel room has lost its fittings, although a sumptuous but hidden ceiling is reported to remain. This building, along with another item, was constructed as wings of the now-demolished Puddington Hall.