Weston Hall

Weston Hall

Large, unfinished country house on the west side of Main Street in the parish of Weston-upon-Trent. Early 17th century, with dendrochronological analysis identifying the felling date of timber in or around 1628 and construction shortly after. Built for the Roper family. The house was probably constructed around 1633 when the manor was granted to Anthony Roper by James I. It is said the Ropers became impoverished before building had progressed very far and the unfinished structure was sold in 1649. The house was reputedly used as a barracks for soldiers when Civil War fighting broke out in Weston in 1644. Minor later alterations have been made.

The building is constructed of red brick with stone dressings. It features moulded stone stringcourses to each floor and above the attic windows, flush ashlar quoins, and an ashlar basement. The roof is slate with moulded stone copings to gables on plain kneelers and large quoined external brick side wall stacks.

The structure comprises three storeys with attics and basement. It was probably intended as an H-plan building but only one side wing and a single bay of the central wing were erected. The north facade has five bays with a central gabled staircase tower. The staircase tower contains two-light recessed and chamfered mullion windows plus small pane casements to each floor. The basement to the east has a 20th-century door and a blocked two-light recessed and chamfered mullion window. The ground floor displays two three-light 20th-century cross timber casement windows in original recessed and chamfered surrounds. The first floor above has two two-light recessed and chamfered mullioned and transomed windows with casements, and the second floor has one similar window to the east. To the west side of the staircase there are later brick additions to the basement and first floor on the east side. The western ground floor window has a door inserted below the transom. The first floor above has similar two-light windows to those on the east side, and above these are two similar blocked windows. The gable walls contain similar openings; the western gable wall retains all original openings complete, with recessed and chamfered two-light mullion and transomed windows to each floor and a two-light recessed and chamfered mullion window in the attic. The east gable wall has had the mullions and transoms to the ground and first floor windows removed and replaced by three-light timber cross casement windows. The south elevation has jagged brick edges to the central wing with a blank internal brick wall facing the exterior. On either side it has similar arrangements of windows to those on the gable walls. In the re-entrant angle to the west there is a small projecting part with circular stone windows to each floor.

The interior contains a full-height open well staircase with four full-height newels and a moulded handrail with a single stud to the centre or wattle and daub panels. The eastern ground floor room has 17th-century panelling and a large chamfered stone fireplace with panelled overmantle. The adjoining room to the west has the remains of similar panelling. Internal cross walls are all timber framed. The second floor and attics are unused and have no plaster on the walls. Second floor rooms have large chamfered stone fireplaces and stone doorcases. The roof contains large double purlin strut trusses. The basement houses the original kitchen, which has a massive chamfered stone fireplace, and features large chamfered ceiling beams.