Winnington Hall

Winnington Hall is a farmhouse, likely dating from the early 17th century, with alterations from the 18th century and a thorough remodelling in 1849. The building is constructed of red brick, incorporating a timber-framed core, and has a slate roof. It is arranged as an H-plan, with a three-bay hall range aligned approximately north-east/south-west, and projecting gabled cross-wings (the south-west wing is flush at the rear). The hall range is two-storey, while the cross-wings are two-storey with an attic.

The north-west front has deep eaves to the central range and dentil brick eaves cornices and verges to the cross-wings. Brick ridge stacks are located off-centre to the left and right, and a lateral brick stack is on the right-hand cross-wing. The window arrangement is 1:3:1, with 2- and 3-light segmental-headed wooden casements. A roughly central 6-panelled door occupies the centre, with the lower two panels flush and the top panels glazed, and is sheltered by a gabled brick porch with a depressed chamfered arch and datestone. A two-window return front on the left-hand side incorporates an inserted 20th-century garage door.

Inside, a ground-floor room in the right-hand cross-wing features a ceiling with chamfered cross-beams and chamfered joists with run-out stops. It also has a timber-framed square-panelled wall with a blocked chamfered ogee-arched doorway. Other rooms have chamfered beams with ogee stops. There are two large open fireplaces in the kitchen. A 17th-century dog-leg staircase is located in the right-hand cross-wing, rising to an attic and features a panelled closed string, pierced splat balusters, a moulded handrail, and square newel posts with incised fleur-de-lys decoration and large finials decorated with pyramids. A probable re-set or introduced 17th-century staircase rises from the first floor to the attic in the left-hand cross-wing. The balustrade of this staircase has rectangular shaped balusters, some of which have been replaced, decorated with pyramids, and topped by a newel post with incised fleur-de-lys decoration and a large finial decorated with a pyramid and raised heart. Panelled and boarded doors are fitted with L-shaped hinges. Some original frame-posts are visible, encased within later alterations. The roofs throughout are 19th-century, with the central range featuring machine-sawn king-post trusses.

A house is known to have been on this site since at least 1543, when it was occupied by the Williams family. It was not known as Winnington Hall until around 1614. A circular brick dovecote was built to the north-west of the house shortly before 1765 but was demolished sometime after 1914.