Swarthmoor Hall

Swarthmoor Hall is a house dating from the early 17th century. It was extensively restored in the late 19th and early 20th centuries following a period of neglect and ruin. The building is constructed of roughcast with sandstone ashlar dressings and has slate roofs. It has a roughly L-shaped plan, with an addition to the angle of the 'L' built in 1912. There are two storeys plus a third attic storey. The windows are characterised by chamfered mullions, some of which were opened out or renewed during the restoration, and feature diamond-leaded lights. The south front has a four-light window to the left of the door, and windows of two, three, and two lights to the right, all linked by a continuous hoodmould. The first floor features a three-light window with a hood, and windows of two, three, and three lights, also linked by a hood. The attic is lit by three windows of three lights each. The doorway has a chamfered surround and an embattled lintel. A chimney is located on the left-hand gable. The east facade has a tall, canted bay window rising to the full height of the gable of the front range, featuring a four-light window with a transom facing forward, and similar two-light windows to each side. The attic window is a stepped design of one light over three, with a hoodmould. To the right on the ground floor is a narrow, chamfered door surround with two two-light windows to its right. The first floor has a chamfered doorway with a hoodmould and an intricately carved lintel featuring lozenge, intersecting, spiral designs, and a timber balcony dating to the early 20th century replacing a former external staircase. Further to the right are windows of three lights and two lights linked by a hood, and a three-light attic window. Chimneys are located on the right-hand (rear) gable and at the junction between the rear wing and the front range. The interior includes restored or reconstructed panelling from the early 20th century, the work of Emma Clarke Abraham. "Judge Fell's room" in the rear wing has a fireplace surround constructed using timber from a 17th-century bed. The staircase ascends to attic level around a cage of four newels and balusters. On the first floor, eastern room of the front range is panelled, and the corresponding room in the rear wing also holds paneling and a carved fireplace surround. The front attic room contains roof trusses with collars, raised ties, and exposed purlins. Swarthmoor Hall was the residence of the Fell family from the 16th century. Margaret Fell, wife of Judge Thomas Fell, who died in 1658, became a follower of George Fox in 1652, and Swarthmoor served as a center for Fox’s missionary travels; the couple married there in 1669.