Arden Hall

Arden Hall is a great house built in 1597, as indicated by the date stone, and was associated with the Ardern family. The building features dressed stone with ashlar dressings and a stone slate roof. It originally had three storeys but is now in a ruinous state, having been so for over a century.

At the rear, there is a watchtower, and the front of the building has two remaining towers, with a third tower having been demolished, which would have completed the symmetry of the design. Each of the existing towers has three storeys and features 3-light chamfered mullion windows on the lower two floors, along with stepped 3-light windows with cusped heads on the second floor and stepped gables, although only the central one is present on the left side. The left side also has a central stepped gable, two storeys, and a 5-light stepped cusp-headed window with stepped transoms.

The rear of the building also showcases stepped gables and includes a central projecting stair or observation tower with an octagonal top storey. This tower has two 3-light chamfered mullion windows and four 2-light double-chamfered mullion windows on the octagonal stage, which is topped with a shallow pyramidal roof. The site is moated and overlooks the Tame Valley, making it an important example of an unusual and distinctive building. The interior has not been inspected.