Boundary Walls To Former Whitworth Estate

DARLEY DALE

668/0/10053 DALE ROAD NORTH 07-JUL-08 BOUNDARY WALLS TO FORMER WHITWORTH EST ATE

II Estate boundary wall,gate piers and horse trough with intergral enclosure. Circa 1870s and later C19 to the designs of T.Roger Smith and E.M Barry as part of the development of the Stancliffe Hall estate for Sir Joseph Whitworth industrialist.

MATERIALS: Regularly coursed squared rock-faced gritstone with saddleback copings, incorporating monolithic gate piers.

DESCRIPTION: The wall varies in height at various locations,and commences adjacent to the 3 gate piers at the entrance to the Stancliffe Hall estate on Whitworth Road at map reference SK268635 and extends south-westwards to the junction of Whitworth Road and Dale Road North (A6). It then continues northwest along the road frontage to the former estate, up to the entrance gateway to West Lodge (q.v) and then extends further northwest, terminating at map reference SK264638. Within the tallest section of walling, to the north west of the entrance to West Lodge, is sited a horse trough set within a tall arch-headed recess, the arch voussoirs and keystone with rock-faced rustication. At the head of the arch is a massive ashlar semi-circular cresting. The wall forms a group with West Lodge (q.v.)and is part of the extensive network of estate boundary walling at Stancliffe Hall, including those sections and gate piers to the east of Stancliffe Hall (q.v.) and the Garden Boundary walls to the former Estate Gardens on Whitworth Road, Foggs Hill and Bent Lane, including VR post box to SW (q.v.).

HISTORY. It is thought that the construction of the boundary walls at Stancliffe Hall coincided with the remodelling of the Hall by T.Roger Smith from 1872, or from 1879 when E.M.Barry worked on the house.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION: The section of boundary wall to the former Stancliffe Hall Estate at Darley Dale, Derbyshire, is listed for the following principal reasons: * The section of wall forms part of an estate boundary, parts of which are already listed; * It is the tallest, most prominent and most carefully detailed section of the boundary wall and incorporates other features of architectural interest including gate piers, ramped changes in height and a horse trough set within an elaborate arched recess; * The wall forms part of an ensemble of related listed structures associated with the Stancliffe Hall Estate as developed by Sir Joseph Whitworth to the designs of T. Roger Smith and the eminent architect, E.M.Barry; * The wall forms an impressive and consistently high quality presence on the A6 road frontage to the estate, and contributes to the setting of the listed West Lodge and its entrance gateway; * The wall is strongly representative of the long established masonry traditions of a nationally important quarrying and stone working district of Derbyshire, and is built from material won and worked locally.