Barkisland Hall

Barkisland Hall

House dated 1638, built for John Gledhill. This is a finely dressed stone building with a stone slate roof, representing one of the finest prodigy houses of Calderdale. It is a large and magnificent double-pile house with a fully developed F-plan, unusually built to three storeys—unlike all other contemporary houses in the area.

The front elevation is dominated by three gabled facades linked by a parapet with finely carved detail. A plinth runs across the base, with string courses marking the levels of the ground and first floor windows. The second floor windows have hoodmoulds with label stops. All windows are fitted with double chamfered mullioned and transomed frames featuring king mullions and cyma-moulded mullions and transoms with elaborate label stops. The main facade displays a 16-light window with 12-light windows above on the first and second floors.

The porch projects prominently and contains an elaborate doorway with a Tudor arched lintel inscribed "1638 IG SG" and a carved face at its centre. The lintel has moulded impost blocks and moulded jambs with broach stops. The inner doorway of the porch is arched with moulded imposts and rusticated voussoirs, flanked by two orders of fluted columns—Doric supporting Ionic—with pedestals carved with elaborate lozenges. An entablature with moulded string runs above. Below a 6-light window is carved a bird and heraldic coat of arms. The top floor contains a wheel window with tracery made up of six circles surrounding a central circle, with a pedimented gable and parapet above.

The hall range features a 24-light window with an 18-light window above on the first floor and a 16-light on the second. The wing breaks forward with a 16-light window, matching window above, and a 12-light window to the second floor. The gables are coped with carved bases for finials and a carved figure to the wing.

The rear elevation has double chamfered mullioned and transomed windows with plainer chamfered mullions. Two tiers of cross-windows at an intermediate level between storeys probably indicate the site of the original stair, which has since been moved. The string course steps over these windows and is interrupted by a taking-in door with monolithic jambs. The right-hand return wall of the cross-wing has similar windows, all retaining their mullions and leaded paned glazing. A stone inscribed "Nunc mea mox huius sed postea nescio cuius" is set into this wall. The east wing has a large chimney stack with a cluster of eight diamond-set flues; the west wing stack has six diamond-set flues. A modern stack serves the central range.

The interior has been largely remodelled and lavishly panelled in the 19th century in imitation of the original period. The principal early features are three 17th-century fireplaces, all with Tudor arched lintels. The hall fireplace has a richly moulded surround. The fireplace in the south parlour of the west wing is inscribed "1605 IG" and was probably reused from an earlier location. The east wing fireplace has finely carved jambs with foliated balusters with scrolled capitals surmounted by carved faces. This is very similar to the fireplace in the hall of Norland Lower Old Hall, Sowerby Bridge, dated 1634, and was likely executed by the same mason.