Clarke Hall

Clarke Hall is a late 17th century house that is symmetrical with two storeys and five bays. It features a central porch projection and small projecting side wings with canted corners, all under low pitched gables. The building is constructed of soft red brick with sandstone quoins and dressings, including urn finials on the porch bay and a high plinth. The windows are stone mullioned and transomed leaded casements, although the mouldings are badly weathered. The entrance has an oak filleted plank door set under a flattened Tudor arch with a hollow chamfer, and the roof is a low pitched hipped design with stone flags.

The south front has a right projecting wing that was added shortly after the house was built, designed in a similar style and materials, featuring a shaped gable end and a belay chimney with two diagonal shafts. There are also two large stacks of conjoined diagonal shafts on the main roof. The building has been restored as a centre for local studies by the County Council, and the rooms have now returned to their original functions.

Inside, notable features include a handsome oak staircase with pierced profile balusters, near-contemporary fireplaces (some of which were brought from elsewhere), wainscoting, and ceilings with deep moulded cornices and narrow raised borders. The most significant interior feature is a splendid late 17th century plaster ceiling in the dining room, which showcases an owl medallion framed in cable moulding, surrounded by stylized plant clusters and larger similar forms that are lively and three-dimensional. It is suggested that the oriental character of these designs may be derived from imported chintzes. Additionally, there is a formal 17th century style garden laid out to the south of the house, along with small modern extensions to the east.