Mosslee Hall

Mosslee Hall

Farmhouse dating from the mid-15th century. The house was originally timber framed, with an open hall and cross wing. A substantial part of the 15th-century roof remains. The cross wing was remodelled in the 15th or 16th century to form a high-status private apartment. The house was remodelled around 1640 by John Hollins, when the hall was floored over, a stack and staircase inserted, and the south front rebuilt in stone. Further replacement of timber by stone took place during the 17th century, and minor alterations continued through the 18th century. Dryden Henry Sneyd carried out further restoration and remodelling around 1880, including work to the windows, west wing and the resiting of the staircase. Minor 20th-century alterations and additions were made. The building's constructional history is analysed in detail in a study by Faith Cleverdon, which should be consulted on matters of detail.

The external walls are constructed of ashlar with ashlar dressings and plain tile roofs with coped gables and ball finials. The building has coped ashlar stacks, two at ridge and one at gable. A chamfered plinth, first floor band and coped parapet run to the south front and east gable. The building is two storeys plus attics, arranged in an L-plan with a seven-window range.

The windows were restored in the late 19th century and reglazed in the 20th century, and retain some chamfered mullions and transoms. The south front features to the right a projecting cross wing with a canted full-height bay window, with reglazed windows on the lower floors and a mullioned attic window. The left return has a mullioned window and above it a coat of arms. In the return angle to the left is an extruded corner porch, two storeys, with coped parapet. This porch has a late 20th-century French window to the ground floor and a three-light mullioned window above. To the left is a square gabled bay window, two storeys, with a reglazed window to the ground floor and a small two-light window to the right. Above is a five-light mullioned window flanked by small two-light mullioned windows. The west wing has a facing gable with a two-light mullioned window on each floor. A rainwater head dated 1640 bears a coat of arms and monogram JHM (John Hollins and wife?). The left return has a datestone dated 1880 with a coat of arms bearing the monogram DHS (Dryden Henry Sneyd), and a 20th-century window on each floor. The rear gable has a 20th-century attic window. The projecting east gable has a three-light cross-mullioned window and above it a canted stone oriel window on heavy shaped brackets. The eaves have similar brackets. The attic has a two-light mullioned window. The left return has a cross-mullioned window on each floor. The rear range has a hipped east end with a minor gable and stack to the east. The rear elevation has an off-centre late 20th-century porch and to the right, two late 20th-century windows on each floor.

Interior

Ground floor: The cross wing has an unusual pattern of thick and thin joists with parallel floorboards. The front hallway has at its west end an early 17th-century dogleg staircase with square-turned newels, octagonal finials, splat balusters and heavy moulded handrails. The kitchen at the rear has a chamfered spine beam with stops and exposed joists. The west wing has a chamfered spine beam and exposed joists.

First floor: The front landing has an exposed cambered span beam to the former open hall, exposed arch braces of the central truss and the original wall plate. The walls flanking the porch have exposed 15th-century close-studding. Other first floor rooms have some exposed structural timber.

Roof structure: The main range has original roof structure with trusses, single butt purlin, cusped wind braces and ridge piece, all smoke-blackened, partly overlaid by 17th and 18th-century structure. Two trusses retain kingposts with decorative shaping, one with arch braces. A closed truss to the east has close studding. A dais truss and spere truss are identifiable. The cross wing has four trusses of different dates, two with kingposts and cusped wind braces.