Woolstaston Hall and garden wall adjoining to east

Woolstaston Hall is a country house dating to around 1675, substantially damaged by partial demolition around 1784, with additions from the mid to late 19th century. It is built of red brick, partly painted, with grey and brown sandstone ashlar dressings, and has a hipped plain tile roof. The surviving structure consists of the southern wing of what was originally an H-plan house, rising to two storeys and an attic over a basement.

The south front features a plinth with chamfered stone top, chamfered quoins to the right, and a plat band. A central gabled dormer contains a two-light wooden casement. An external brick end stack to the left has 2 by 3 panels to the top with a pitched-roofed link to the attic, and an integral brick lateral stack sits at the rear. Seven bays are present, with the three centre bays closely spaced. Four-pane sashes have gauged brick heads and rebuilt cills, though the first-floor right-hand sash is painted as an imitation. Three steps lead up to a central pair of doors, each with four raised and fielded panels. The doorcase is of sandstone and is decaying; it consists of panelled pilasters with husk drops hanging from grotesque heads, an entablature with carved husk garlands, a pulvinated frieze and moulded cornice breaking forward over the pilasters, and a steep triangular pediment with flanking urns.

The right-hand return front, which was the former front elevation, comprises two bays with a plinth, quoins, a moulded stone string course, and a central gabled dormer with a two-light wooden casement.

The rear shows one bay of the former return of the wing to the left with blind windows. Two 19th-century gabled wings extend to the right, one with a brick ridge stack. A part of the former 17th-century forecourt wall adjoins to the east; this is constructed of red brick on a sandstone rubble plinth with grey sandstone dressings, quoins at the east end, and moulded coping ramped down the slope. A pair of 19th-century cast-iron gates sits at the west end, and a 20th-century boarded door stands in the centre.

Interior

The house retains fairly complete late 17th-century and 18th-century fittings throughout, including doors with six raised and fielded panels and H-hinges, and window shutters with four raised and fielded panels.

The hall features early to mid-17th-century wainscot panelling, a number of pieces carved, with a fluted frieze said to have come from Church Stretton church. The entrance wall has tall raised and fielded bolection-moulded panels and a moulded cornice. A mid to late 19th-century staircase and fireplace have been introduced.

The ground floor left-hand room, formerly the kitchen, contains bolection-moulded wainscot panelling. The window wall displays tall bolection-moulded panels and a moulded cornice. A segmental-arched stone fireplace is present.

The drawing room, on the ground floor to the right, features bolection-moulded wainscot panelling with a dado rail. Window walls have bolection-moulded raised and fielded panels and a dado rail. The fireplace has a bolection-moulded surround, pulvinated frieze, and moulded cornice. The overmantel contains bolection-moulded raised and fielded panelling with flanking panelled pilasters and a coved and moulded cornice breaking forward over the pilasters.

The landing has moulded wainscot panelling, doorways with moulded architraves and bolection-moulded panels above, and a moulded cornice. A small bedroom taken out of the landing retains a late 17th-century panelled door with strap hinges and remains of floral painting.

The left-hand bedroom contains a fireplace with bolection-moulded surround, reveals with Delft-like tiles, and a bolection-moulded raised and fielded panel above, together with a coved and moulded cornice.

The right-hand bedroom has a blocked fireplace with a bolection-moulded raised and fielded panel above and a moulded cornice. An adjoining dressing room has a moulded cornice.

Historical Context

Before its partial demolition, the house contained 37 rooms. It featured a balustraded parapet and a stone gateway in front adorned with lions. The house ceased to be the residence of the lord of the manor following the death of Catherine Pope in 1754. After demolition around 1784, much of the panelling was taken to Apley Park near Bridgnorth, though some was reused at The Farm, Leebotwood.