Claughton Hall

This is a large house, originally dating back to around 1600, with some fabric remaining from the 15th century, though it was substantially rebuilt between 1932 and 1935 and moved to its present location. The house is constructed of sandstone rubble with stone slate roofs. The north front features two tall, projecting towers. Between the towers, the recessed portion of the facade includes a projecting chimney stack on the right, alongside a chimney projecting on corbels at first-floor level, and, to the left, a similar corbelled chimney. Flanking the doorway are windows with three round-headed lights. Above the door is a small projecting oriel window with an embattled transom and sill, featuring four upper lights with trefoiled heads, and windows of two trefoiled lights on each side. These 15th-century windows are reportedly from a wing that remains on the original site of the house and is now Claughton Hall Farmhouse. The door itself has a chamfered surround with a triangular head. The right-hand tower has a hipped roof and an upper storey with two eight-light windows with ovolo-moulded mullions and transoms, separated by a king mullion, with six further lights on each return wall. The left-hand tower has a gable above a similar rebated and chamfered window, containing two lights on the left-hand return wall and eight on the right. This tower projects from the right-hand side of the gable of a wing set at a right angle, and widens at first-floor level. The wing has a chimney on its gable, and is described as otherwise 20th century, with the original wing in this location forming Claughton Hall Farmhouse. The south facade includes a two-storey, gabled porch. The ground-floor windows have rebated and hollow-chamfered surrounds, while those above are ovolo-moulded, all incorporating mullions and transoms. To the left are two windows with six lights, and one with twenty lights and a king mullion on the first floor. To the right are windows with six and four lights on the ground floor, and one with eight lights above. The porch window contains two transoms, with eighteen lights to the front and six on each return wall. The porch door has a moulded surround with a Tudor arch, leading to an inner door with a chamfered surround. To the right, a 20th-century replacement wing projects, featuring mullioned and transomed windows. Internally, a first-floor hall has been created, incorporating a cruck barn brought from Eardisley, Herefordshire. This hall contains four cruck trusses with collars, with exposed purlins and rafters. There is also a moulded fireplace with a triangular head. To the east of the hall, on the ground floor, is linenfold panelling from Grundisburgh, Suffolk, along with other reconstructed panelling. A lintel carved with decorative motifs, including a winged face, is re-set in a wall.