The Old Hall

THE OLD HALL

Former Manor House, now 2 houses. Mid 17th century, possibly with earlier origins; subsequently altered including 19th century subdivision into cottages, reroofing and 19th to 20th century refenestration. Red brick in English bond with pantile roof.

The building is irregular U-shaped in plan, comprising a south wing with central entrance hall flanked by a short single-room east wing and a 3-room west wing, with the main entrance facing north to a courtyard. It stands 2 storeys high.

The courtyard front features an entrance section with 2 first-floor windows, flanked to the left by a short wing and to the right by a 3-window wing. A partly rendered plinth runs along the base. The entrance itself retains a good original moulded brick surround with pilasters and moulded capitals beneath an ovolo-moulded floating pediment, though somewhat damaged to the left; the original opening now contains a recessed 20th century door in a 20th century brick surround. An inserted 20th century 2-light window stands to the left. A 3-course brick first-floor band, stepped above the entrance, divides the storeys. The first floor has a single-light window to the left beneath an original flat brick arch, and an inserted 2-light window over the entrance beneath a rendered arch. A dentilled brick eaves cornice with double brick header dentils caps the section. An axial stack rises through the roof. Straight joints mark the junctions with the flanking wings.

The gable end of the left wing has a blocked central door beneath an original flat brick arch, with an inserted 2-light window to the right. A first-floor band occurs at this level, and a former central first-floor door (now with an inserted 2-light window and blocked lower half) sits above it. The gable, rebuilt in the 19th century, is brick-coped.

The wing to the right displays a 20th century door in a partly blocked opening, flanked to the left by a single-light window and to the right by two 2-light windows, all in partly blocked openings beneath cement-rendered flat arches. The window to the right of the door has an original narrow flat brick window arch above it. A 3-course first-floor band, slightly higher than those to the south and east wings, contains similar 20th century single-light and 2-light windows; the 2 to the left are in partly blocked openings, while that at centre sits beneath an original narrow flat brick window arch directly above a similar blocked ground-floor window. A similar stepped and dentilled cornice caps this section. A stone-coped north gable with shaped kneelers completes it. An axial stack and a north end stack rise through the roof. The north gable end has brick bands at first-floor and eaves level.

On the west side of the west wing, 5 first-floor windows are visible. A stepped plinth runs below; straight joints occur to the right and at ground-floor left. A pair of 20th century board doors beneath timber lintels sit at ground level, flanked to the left by a 20th century 2-light sliding sash and to the right by a small 2-light casement and 3 unsympathetic 20th century bow windows. A 3-course first-floor band, interrupted to the left of centre with a lower section to the right, separates the storeys. The first floor contains 2-light sliding sashes, that at centre beneath a rendered flat arch, and a small blocked opening at the far right. The roof is hipped to the right.

The south side of the south wing shows 5 first-floor windows. The plinth is interrupted by various blocked openings; the section at far left retains original moulded brick capping. A gabled east wing to the right has a 20th century board door in a partly blocked opening flanked by 2-light windows, while the section to the left contains a series of blocked openings and 2- and 3-light windows. A first-floor band marks the storey division. The east wing's first floor has a central blocked window flanked by single 2-light windows, with single-light, 2- and 3-light windows to the left. The right return has a pair of 20th century 2-light sliding sashes beneath 20th century segmental arches. All windows are 20th century, mostly with inappropriate plate glass and rendered arches or bracketed wooden hoods.

Interior

All ground-floor rooms except the north-west have heavy chamfered spine beams (that to the south-west with broach stops) and exposed joists. The west and south wings contain original stacks; that to the west has an inglenook fireplace beneath a timber bressumer.

A 19th century drawing shows the building with narrow windows, some mullioned, a steeply pitched roof with curvilinear gables and a tall panelled stack to the south wing.

Historical references: W B Stonehouse, The History and Topography of the Isle of Axholme, 1839, p 373; W Read, History of the Isle of Axholme, 1858, pp 375-6.