Hanch Hall

Hanch Hall

Country house. Essentially an early 18th-century house of at least two phases, incorporating earlier material, with important additions and alterations of circa 1840. Built in red brick laid in Flemish bond, with hipped roofs of plain tile and slate, and brick ridge stacks. The building is aligned northeast to southwest, facing southeast.

Around 1840, a porte cochere was added to the southwest, a stair wing to the northwest, and a ballroom and servants wing to the northeast.

South-east elevation. Two storeys with dentilled eaves cornice and balustraded parapet. The façade is arranged in 2:3:2 bays with brick pilaster strips at the corners. A central break, dating to circa 1730, features quoins of unequal length and a pediment containing a blind keyed oculus. The windows are twelve-pane glazing bar sashes with moulded sill strings and lintels stepped as voussoirs. Ground floor windows have lugged and moulded architraves with panels below, as do the windows of the central break. First floor windows carry strapwork aprons of circa 1840. The central first floor window has a Gibbsian surround. A central half-glazed door features a rusticated surround. To the right, an attached ballroom and servants wing is set back. In front stands an L-shaped stone loggia of circa 1840 with round arches, raised keystones and hood moulds. To the left is a set-back porte cochere.

South-west elevation. Three storeys rise on the left-hand side, marked by storey bands. The principal feature of this front is a two-storey porte cochere of three bays, with semi-circular arches, strapwork moulded columns, and raised keys with lions' heads, topped by a strapwork balustrade. The porte cochere was built in front of an 18th-century brick porch, to each side of which a three-bay arcade was added. Immediately to the left of the porch, ashlar masonry is visible behind one of the arches—the chimney stack of a 16th or 17th-century house. The porch itself has a six-panel door with bracketed and pedimented doorcase and rectangular overlight. To the right of the door is a narrow loophole which served a butler's lodge.

North-west elevation. Completely remodelled circa 1840. Crosswings of two storeys and attic with finialed Dutch gables flank a slightly recessed three-storey range. The central stair wing has a stone plinth, quoins of unequal length, and a strapwork balustrade surrounding a louvred belvedere topped with a lead-covered dome, carrying the inscription "Mox. Nox". Stone mullioned windows feature raised surrounds, with a dentilled string beneath the third floor windows. A massive four-light stair window has two transoms. A service wing of circa 1840 is attached to the left, two storeys high with a dentilled eaves band and 2:1:2 windows similar in style to those of the main house.

Interior. The main entrance, reached via the porte cochere, leads into a vestibule with 18th-century oak panelling incorporating a door that gives access to the butler's lodge. The entrance hall displays early 18th-century wall panelling with fluted pilasters. The raised panels alternate between raised and square-headed forms and gradually reduce in width away from the vestibule to create a false perspective. A three-bay arcade of semi-circular arches on strapwork moulded pillars screens the main staircase from the entrance hall.

The Oak Room retains 17th-century oak wall panelling with doors. The northeast wall features a 19th-century four-centred archway with panelled spandrels and ogee-moulded surround, which formerly gave access to another small panelled room. A corner fireplace has a bolection moulded surround. A 19th-century oak window shutter hangs on chains.

The Morning Room has a plaster ceiling with early 18th-century cornice of dentils, egg and dart, Greek key and cyma recta moulded bands. A 19th-century inner border is decorated with gilloche and paterae.

The Drawing Room dates to the early 18th century. It features large plaster wall panels with heavy moulded surrounds, five six-panel doors each with lugged architrave, dentilled cornice and pediment with festoons over. The plaster ceiling cornice has modillions and egg and dart ornament. A marble fireplace features a fluted key.

The Dining Room has a plaster ceiling revealing the underlying structure of interlocking beams. The beams carry gilloche ornament along their spines; panels between the beams are decorated with dentils, egg and dart, and Greek key mouldings. An early 18th-century marble fireplace stands in the room. Towards the northeast end, screening the entrance, is an arcade of two red scagliola pillars with a frieze of paterae around the capitals.

The Ballroom dates to circa 1840. It features mahogany wall panelling with raised panels and a marble fireplace with paired Tuscan columns. A musicians alcove occupies the northeast end. Three massive foliated cast iron ceiling roses, possibly made at Coalbrookdale, hang from the ceiling. In the servants' wing is a fireplace with a 19th-century oak surround incorporating earlier material, including a 17th-century frieze with exuberant foliage, cornucopias, fruit and acorns, and two carved panels depicting the story of Noah, probably dating to the late 15th century.

A 19th-century open-well main staircase features a closed string, strapwork balustrade, and strapwork moulded newels with ogee finials. The staircase wall is fully panelled, incorporating some 17th-century panelling. A 16th or 17th-century frieze of segmental pointed panels with Gothic tracery and crenellated piers runs along the wall. Above the staircase is a 19th-century wooden rib vaulted ceiling.

At first floor level, two of the front rooms retain 18th-century plaster ceiling cornices. At mezzanine level, directly above the entrance passage, the walls are timber-framed, probably 16th century. A 19th-century staircase leading to a room at this level incorporates reused 18th-century balusters. The room formerly communicated with a second room in the northwest corner of the house, which retains 17th-century oak panelling and a 16th-century sandstone fireplace with Tudor arch, sunken spandrels and ogee-moulded surround. Directly above this room is a reused roof truss, dating to the 15th or 16th century, with a slightly cambered tie beam and a king-post which appears to replace the original vertical member; the principals are set in from the ends of the tie beam. Elsewhere, mainly pegged king-post roof trusses are employed. Extensive brick vaulted cellars with a vaulted passage or drainage channel lead into the park.