Mulberry Tree Hall And Garden Wall

Mulberry Tree Hall and Garden Wall

A large detached house of mixed periods, comprising a late 16th or early 17th century cross wing, a mid 17th century central range, and a later 17th century rear wing, with possible late medieval origins. The building is constructed of random rubble limestone with ashlar dressings, most set proud of the wall surfaces, suggesting that rendering was originally intended. The cross wing's upper level features close stud timber framing. The roof is of stone slate with ashlar chimney stacks.

The plan forms a T-shape, with a central range and cross wing to the left, and a smaller rear gabled wing to the right. The building may originally have been a hall house with a solar wing to the left, though the main central range was rebuilt in the 17th century, retaining a cross-passage to the right with kitchen range beyond.

The front elevation features a projecting gable end to the left with roll moulding to the parapet and three openwork finials. The gable has single-window fenestration, all recessed with cavetto mullions and leaded casements—three lights to ground and upper floors, two lights to the attic, each with hood moulds, and a small attic slit vent. The south side of the cross wing is timber-framed with small framing to the upper floor and a leaded timber casement. A two-light cavetto-mullioned window with hood mould is positioned below.

The remainder of the front is dominated by a full gable with a single openwork finial and a four-light attic casement. Scattered fenestration below comprises a mixture of two- and three-light windows. A central moulded four-centred arched doorway with hood mould provides the main entrance, and two ridge-mounted chimneys with moulded caps crown the roofline.

The north side is timber-framed over masonry, with a two-light recessed cavetto-mullioned casement to the right and two leaded timber upper floor casements flanking a small central timber casement. Two gabled roof dormers are present. The south end features a parapet gable with ridge-mounted chimney, an off-centre upper floor leaded casement, and a 19th century conservatory below. The rear elevation displays a small framed gable to the right with leaded attic and upper floor casements, beneath which sits a 20th century single-storey stone addition. Three-light recessed cavetto-mullioned casements are positioned to the centre of the rear elevation, with a leaded casement to a gabled roof dormer above. A late 17th century gabled wing projecting to the left has three-light recessed chamfered mullioned casements and two lights above.

The interior has experienced significant alteration. The main entrance, now filled with temporary blockwork as of January 1994, originally gave onto a former passage with a chamfered beam but no partition to the left, and a lightweight 20th century partition to the right. The main ground floor room has a stone flagged floor, two broad chamfered beams, and a square stone fireplace with ovolo-mould surround to the left. The former kitchen to the right contains a wide fireplace with chamfered surround, a transverse beam, and a lateral beam that also crosses the former passage. A wide 20th century opening connects the kitchen to the rear wing, which is open to the roof structure and contains a 20th century staircase to a gallery. At the parlour end, two rooms are separated by a wooden winder stair. The front room has a central beam and a wide fireplace with chamfered stone surround, whilst the adjacent room contains a large rough beam in the line of the former rear wall, now extended. The stair is flanked by a framed partition.

At first floor level, one small chamfered stone fire surround survives, and several wooden doorways with slight four-centred heads are present. The rear room of the solar wing retains some good 17th century panelling used as a cupboard front. Behind the staircase is an enclosed space with panelling and a ventilator set high with thin turned balusters. The winder stair continues to the attics, where the roof structure retains some early collars and tenoned purlins, though it is largely 19th and 20th century replacement.

A subsidiary random rubble limestone garden wall with roll-moulded coping is associated with the property.