Matching Hall

Matching Hall is a Grade II* manor house dating from the 15th century, with alterations made in the 16th, 17th, and 20th centuries. The building is timber framed, plastered, and has a roof made of handmade red clay tiles. It is aligned approximately northwest to southeast, with its current aspect facing southwest, though it was originally oriented to the northeast.

At the northwest end, there is a 15th-century two-bay crosswing featuring a central chimney stack from the 17th century. The southeast end has a two-bay crosswing dating to around 1600. Between these two crosswings is a two-storey hall block, also from around 1600, which has a chimney stack at its junction with the southeast crosswing, dating to the late 16th century, and serves as a lobby entrance to the northeast.

In the northwest corner of the northwest wing, there is a square service building with a pyramidal roof, two storeys high, from the 17th century. There are also single-storey extensions with pitched roofs to the northeast and southeast of this building, which were added in the 20th century. A second square building with a pyramidal roof, also two storeys, is located to the northwest of the first service building and is connected to it by a wall, though its date is uncertain.

The hall has two storeys with attics. The southwest elevation features a ground floor gabled porch and four double-hung sash windows, while the first floor has three double-hung sash windows. The facade gable is positioned in the middle of the hall block, with double-hung sash windows in both this gable and the gable of the southeast crosswing. The axial chimney stack has grouped diagonal shafts. Some framing is exposed internally, with the axial beam in the southwest bay of the northwest crosswing being plain chamfered with step stops, and the axial beam in the hall block being plain chamfered with bar stops.

The roof of the northwest crosswing is of crownpost construction and has been significantly altered, originally featuring a gablet at the southwest end, which has since been changed to a gable. The crownposts and collar-purlins are missing, although some original collars remain. The roof of the southeast crosswing is constructed with clasped purlins and includes curved wind braces. The roof of the hall block is of joggled butt purlin construction, with facade gables on both sides.

Like many medieval houses, Matching Hall has undergone extensive reconstruction during the period of agricultural prosperity and rapid social change in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Originally, it featured an open hall where the present hall block is located, with the current northwest crosswing serving as a parlour and solar.