Ashburne Hall (Lees, Mary Worthington, Ward and Central block), including the Alice Barlow memorial gates and Ashburne Hall Lodge

Ashburne Hall is a residential hall of the University of Manchester, comprising several connected accommodation blocks built in the early 20th century. The complex is constructed of brick with stone and clay tile detailing, under slate roofs. The buildings form an irregular, roughly reverse L-shaped ensemble arranged around a grassed quadrangle, with the Alice Barlow memorial gates fronting Wilmslow Road to the west and Ashburne Hall Lodge positioned at the north-west corner of the site.

Layout and Structure

The Lees wing sits to the north, aligned west-east, with its south-west corner attached to Behren's House. It has a projection to the centre of its north elevation. The Mary Worthington wing is attached to the east side of Lees, running north-south with a reverse L-shaped projection to the north. The width of the northern part is slightly greater than the southern half of the north-south section. A block at its south end is aligned west-east and projects eastwards from the remainder of its building line; this connects to the Central block on the east side of its south elevation. The Central block also runs north-south, with its central section stepped forward to the west, flanked by recessed sections to the north and south. The Ward wing is attached to the south of the Central block and mirrors the footprint of the Mary Worthington wing almost exactly, except at its south end where it has a block running east-west projecting on either side of the building line.

External Appearance

The accommodation blocks are two storeys plus attic, in the Arts and Crafts style with Georgian and Tudor motifs. The composition is roughly symmetrical on the east side, with the Ward wing constructed to mirror the Mary Worthington wing either side of the symmetrical Central block. The Lees wing and the southernmost section of Ward wing break the symmetry, although the east section of Lees is similar in style to the corresponding section of Ward wing. Subtle variations in the size of gables, chimneys and rooflines mean the arrangement is not formal. Thin bricks have been used to face the buildings throughout, with brick string courses and tile detailing applied to all wings in differing effects. Almost all windows are original multi-paned sashes, and almost all half-glazed multi-paned external doors remain in situ. All flat-headed openings have brick wedge-lintels.

Central Block

The library and dining hall form the central section of the Central block. This has a double-height second storey with tall windows. The ground floor has rusticated brick bands and rusticated brick wedge lintels to the windows; these details continue to the returns. The central five bays project slightly. Brick quoins have been used to these and the peripheral corners. The roof is hipped and flat in parts, with a projecting hipped roof to the central section.

This section is flanked by two recessed wings with flat roofs and parapets. The ground floors are pierced by three round-headed entrances with multi-paned double doors and fanlights. The second floors are set back to provide a balcony; these house flat-headed windows (one to the south is blind) and decorative brick roundels.

The rear elevation has a curved, full-height entrance bay with parapet to the centre, incorporating a tall round-headed recess with a multi-paned door, tall 16-over-16 window and a date stone reading 'AD 1924' above. Flanking wings have numerous flat-headed windows. Access to the cellar is via stone steps with an attached hoist.

Mary Worthington Wing

This incorporates numerous flat-headed and half-hipped dormer windows and large chimney stacks; the south stack has decorative round-arched recesses and stone banding. There are two entrances recessed behind large arches with tile detailing, creating a covered seating area. This incorporates hexagonal floor tiles and fixed wooden benches to the north and south. The south section aligned west-east has a stone plinth. Two paired gables face the quadrangle and there are two full-height stone polygonal bays to the south return. The rear elevation has numerous half-hipped dormers, chimney stacks and flat-headed windows and doors. A gable with segmental-arched window and attached stack sits to the centre of the southern block, overlooking the north-south range. To the north end there is a single-storey, flat-roof block with flat-headed windows.

Ward Wing

The form of Ward wing mirrors that of Mary Worthington, with replicated details such as the full-height stone bays, paired gables and large arches. Where it differs is in the southern east-west block. Here the east gable end incorporates two windows recessed behind a round-headed opening, while the west gable end has a round-headed recess with multi-paned door and window with a date stone reading 'AD 1924' above. The south elevation incorporates two full-height brick polygonal bays with flat tops which rise above eaves level to its west side. These have tile detailing between the wedge lintels at first-floor level. Round-headed niches with tile detailing sit between them at ground and first-floor level. The roofs incorporate slate tile-hung half-hipped dormers and substantial stacks with tile detailing.

Lees Wing

This has full-height brick polygonal bays with flat tops which rise above eaves level to its south elevation. The gabled roof is punctuated at regular intervals with slate tile-hung half-hipped dormer windows and large stacks with clay tile detailing. The rear, north-facing elevation has numerous flat-headed windows and half-hipped dormers in a similar style to the front elevation. There is a three-bay square projection to the centre with parapet. The east end of the building has been subsumed into the later rear extension to Behren's House.

Interior

All bedroom doors are renewed, although the multi-paned fanlights survive above those with round-headed openings. A number of original internal doors remain in situ in other areas. The flooring is mainly parquet, although some areas have wooden boards and the service areas are tiled. Original flooring is thought to survive in most places aside from in the dining hall, although carpeted over in places. Window seats and stair landing benches have been incorporated sporadically within all wings.

Central Block Interior

The central section houses the library with dining hall above to the west. The library is panelled and lined with fitted and half-height projecting shelves, all inscribed with Roman numerals. The southern end is part screened by full-height bookshelves and decorative partitions. All recessed windows incorporate window seats. A librarian's office sits to the north; this was not inspected internally. A quote from Lord Morley dated 1923 has been inscribed above the door. The ceilings incorporate a periphery band of foliage design plasterwork.

The central corridor to the ground floor is spacious and incorporates a coffered ceiling, round-headed niches and Greek key friezes. A double return stair sits opposite the entrance to the library. This has wide, shallow stone steps and is flanked by round-headed niches and iron handrails. Spiral newels sit on either side of the half landing, at which point the returns become open string, with ironwork balustrading incorporating triple balusters and splat balusters in spiral and foliage designs; these are topped by a wooden handrail. There is a roundel top light above, surrounded by foliage design plasterwork.

The dining room has a dais with fluted Doric columns to its north end. This area is lined with panelling and the ceiling incorporates decorative geometric plasterwork, including Greek key designs. The dining room has a deeply-coved ceiling. The cornice incorporates geometrical designs in the plasterwork, while the ceiling has bands of plasterwork with foliage designs. The bays are separated by pilasters. There are three glazed multi-panel double doors leading to the corridor and the kitchen (former servery). An honours board sits to the east.

Common rooms sit to the first floor east. The senior common room is to the north of the stair; this is lined with fitted shelves to the west and retains its panelled chimneybreast and fireplace with marble detailing. This gives access through to the dais area of the dining hall via small rooms and some steps to the north. The service areas for Ashburne Hall were housed to the ground floor rear of the central and south section of the Central block; these areas are mostly faced with glazed brick. The former laundry has been converted to a common room, although it retains its airing cupboards. The former kitchen retains its dumb waiter which accesses the former servery above. The north section of the Central block houses a modern reception area to its ground floor, although fitted cupboards and a recessed niche with a fixed mirrored wooden coat, hat and umbrella stand have been retained. The first floor houses a room lined with fitted cupboards and glazed bookshelves.

Mary Worthington and Ward Wing Interiors

These contain approximately 60 rooms each, accessed via round-headed doorways with fanlights off spine corridors to the ground and first floors. Rooms are to one side only on the attic floor, accessed via flat-headed doors. Almost all ground and first-floor rooms retain their fire surrounds incorporating tiles with recessed wooden shelving above; the grates have however been lost. The attic rooms appear never to have had fireplaces. A good proportion of rooms also retain their cupboards with brass fittings; those to Mary Worthington are round-headed. Bedrooms to Mary Worthington have had vestibules inserted for fire safety. The north-west room of Ward wing houses a common room; this has a window seat to the bay and a Moderne style fireplace.

Each wing incorporates a large stair hall within its northern end. These have an open-well closed-string wooden stair, with wooden balusters grouped into alternate triple stick balusters and single splat balusters. The splat balusters are plain to Ward wing, but shaped and pierced to Mary Worthington; the latter also has ramped handrails. The ceilings are vaulted and incorporate large multi-paned skylights. Two sides of the stairwells are panelled with half-glazed wooden screens; these have necessitated the loss of some balustrading. The turned pillars to the corners have however survived. Modern glazed partitions have been added to the ground floor section of the Ward wing stair. The equivalent section of Mary Worthington remains open, aside from the highly-polished wooden Tuscan columns beneath the stair. This wing once incorporated a shop to the ground floor off the stair hall; the hatch has been blocked although it is still evident.

Lees Wing Interior

This is accessed internally from the Mary Worthington wing on all three floors; there is also a knock through to Behren's House on the west end. Rooms sit to the south and are accessed via flat-headed doorways from the corridor which runs along its length to the north. The projection to the north houses bathroom and toilet facilities, accessed via multi-paned doors. This block also has cleaners' rooms to each floor with glazed bricks, terrazzo flooring and sluices. Ground and first-floor rooms have similar fireplaces to the other wings, although those to the attic rooms have been removed; cupboards do however survive.

Alice Barlow Memorial Gates

These are elaborate gates which sit to the centre of the boundary wall along Wilmslow Road, aligned to face the Central block. They have rubbed brick curved piers with ornamental stone urns. The gates are of wrought iron, with the insignia of the University (a snake) and the date 1924 in gold. A slate plaque with inscription is situated on the side of the southern pier.

Ashburne Hall Lodge

This is Regency in style, of stuccoed brick with a hipped slate roof with central stack. The main elevation is to the west, of two storeys with a central entrance under a porch with chamfered columns. Windows are six-over-six pane sashes and the front door is six-panelled. It has been modernised internally, with a kitchen inserted to the ground floor. One internal door survives, although all fireplaces have been removed.