Bidston Hall

Bidston Hall is a large house, likely rebuilt in the late 16th to early 17th century from an earlier structure, with the remodelling occurring in at least two phases. It is constructed of coursed and squared stone with plain slate roofs. The layout features a hall and two cross wings, modified in the 19th century to create two parallel longitudinal gables. The facade is symmetrical, highlighted by a central two-storey semi-circular bowed porch that has a segmentally-arched entrance with chamfered jambs and enriched voussoirs. The first floor has a continuous band of mullioned windows, and the scalloped parapet is adorned with low-relief motifs. The flanking mullioned windows consist of three and four lights, topped with a plain string course.

The rear elevation is also symmetrical, featuring original advanced outer gables, each with four-light mullioned windows connected by a four-bay loggia on the ground floor. This arcade is supported by columns with marked entasis and features four-light mullioned windows above. A doorway and flanking windows are recessed, possibly having been relocated. The mullions throughout the building are ovolo moulded.

Inside, there is a central hall with a rear wall stack, flanked by the original service end to the left and the current kitchen located in the parlour wing to the right. The hall and parlour, as well as some upstairs rooms, feature four-centred arched fireplaces. Original doors between the main lower rooms also have four-centred arched lintels. The exposed stonework reveals a rich collection of masons' marks, and there is a stone staircase towards the rear. Upstairs, timber framed partition walls and traces of an earlier layout can be seen before the addition of the loggia infilling between the two wings. The property was owned by the earls of Derby from the 14th century until around 1652, and the current house was likely built by the 4th earl.