Mitchell Hall

Mitchell Hall is a manor house dating probably to the early to mid 16th century, with alterations and extensions in the 16th and 17th centuries. The facade and gable ends were re-faced in yellow brick during the 19th century. It is timber-framed, with a front wall and gable ends cased in gault brick. The roofs are steeply pitched and covered in cement tiles, with a rebuilt ridge stack.

The oldest part of the house is the range along Quarry Lane, a fine example of an early to mid 16th century hall house with a single bay for service rooms to the right. A cross-passage likely existed between the hall and service bays, but it was sealed when the house was converted to a lobby-entry plan later in the 16th century. Evidence does not confirm if a parlour wing or bay existed to the left. The front elevation has two 20th-century dormers and three 19th-century recessed sash windows. A two-story, 19th-century brick porch now fronts the original lobby entry position, and a sash window with a round-headed arch sits above the doorway at the first floor.

The rear elevation displays exposed timber framing with middle rails, close studding of substantial scantling, and fine serpentine bracing on the hall’s first floor. The windows are mostly 19th or 20th century, but one first-floor window likely occupies the position of the original hall window. A blocked doorway at ground floor in the hall may have been one of the original doorways to the cross-passage.

The range fronting High Street is in two bays and dates to the 17th century, with a 19th-century yellow brick facade facing the road and rendered to the rear. The roof ridge is lower and covered in cement tiles. The fenestration is also 19th century. Adjoining this range is a lower building, probably from the early 19th century constructed of clunch with a framed rear wall. Part of this building has been converted to domestic use but was likely formerly a stable or other farm building.

The interior retains the service end of the early to mid 16th century house, including two service doorways, one with its original lintel. Original framing is visible in this partition wall and in the gable. This service bay has a cellared space. The main hall has a quartered ceiling and boxed beams. The roof is of crown post construction; the original rafters remain, each pair with its collar, though the crown posts have either been removed or are concealed.

The timber framing in the service bay exhibits centre posts running continuously from sill to tie beam, with curved downward bracing from the centre post to the sill in the end wall.