Mawdesley Hall

MAWDESLEY NEW STREET SD 41 NE 8/162 Mawdesley Hall 22.10.52 GV I

Lesser gentry "hall" house, subsequently farmhouse, now house. Probably early C17, dated 1625 and 1655 internally, altered, with wings of C18 and C19; recently renovated. Hallrange timber framed on stone plinth, left wing of sandstone with quoins, right wing of brick with stone quoins, roof of stone-coloured tiles hipped over front of wings. H-plan: 2-bay hallrange with 2-bay crosswings. Two storeys; hallrange of irregular 4-bay post and truss construction, with coved jetty to 1st floor, coved eaves, straight arch-bracing to the wallplate, ornamental herringbone bracing in the lower panels of the upper floor and one panel of the ground floor, carved scrolled consoles to the wallposts at ground floor; entrance at right hand end by altered arched doorway with arch-glazed side lights, over this a row of small panels with convex corner bracing continued to the left over a chevron-patterned panel in the 3rd bay; 2 windows in left half, raised on short studs, each of 10 lights with wooden mullions and transom, filling the bays; 1st floor has intermediate posts and 3 inserted 2-light casements. Rear of this range of simpler post and rail construction with some straight bracing to the wallplate, has in 2nd bay a large external stone chimney stack offset at eaves level and terminating in 2 rebuilt chimneys. Left crosswing has a 1st floor band and raised quoins, a window on each floor, both vertical rectangular with moulded architraves and keystones, glazed as crosswindows with casement openings and glazing bars; roof swept over eaves: left return wall has one similar window on each floor, the lower altered as French windows. Right wing has C19 windows altered as top-hung casements. Each wing has a chimney in the centre of the ridge. Interior: diminutive storeyed hall, with entrance lobby and staircase in 4th bay, timber framed partition to the hall itself, which has 2 lateral beams with rounded chamfer, supported by brackets from the wallposts, walls on 3 sides wainscotted to 3/4 height in 3 stages of muntin and rail panelling with scored lozenge decoration in the panels; Tudor-arched stone fireplace in middle bay of rear wall, the lintel lettered 1625 (= William Mawdesley), decorated moulded plaster overmantel W M with Mawdesley arms, helm and cresting, date 16 55 at top and initials R M at bottom (= Robert Mawdesley); old oak staircase apparently remodelled or moved; timber-framed partition wall to right wing with 1st floor doorway indicating contemporary continuation or wing formerly in this position; 1st floor of hallpart laterally partitioned in the centre (i.e. not vertically aligned with partition at ground floor), with covex bracing to the tie beam; windbraced roof; moulded Tudor-arched hall-chamber fireplace; studded batten and board doors with ornamental strap hinges. Reference: VCH Lancs VI pp. 97-8.

Listing NGR: SD4977015105