Denton Hall And Attached Forecourt Walls And Railings

Denton Hall and Attached Forecourt Walls and Railings

A Palladian country house, now used as a management training centre and offices. Built in 1778 by John Carr for Sir James Ibbetson, and restored in 1976. The building is constructed in ashlar with grey slate roofs and features wooden cupolas with lead domes, wrought-iron gates and railings.

The mansion is composed of a main block of two storeys with basement, measuring 9 by 7 bays, flanked by two-storey pavilions of 3 by 4 bays each. The pavilions are flanked by former open yards and linked to the main block by curved single-storey corridors. A chamfered plinth runs through the main block at basement level and continues to the pavilions at ground-floor window-sill level.

The south front of the main block features a terrace approached by six steps with low flanking walls. Entry is through glazed double doors set in an architrave with bolection moulding and a segmental dentilled pediment. Flanking sash windows with glazing bars have similar architraves and segmental pediments, with a blind balustrade with vase balusters beneath. The three outer windows on each side are similar but with triangular pediments. A moulded sill band runs across, and nine-pane sashes with architraves occupy the first floor. The central three bays are emphasized by giant Ionic columns supporting a crowning cornice and modillioned pediment. A deep modillioned eaves cornice and balustraded parapet crown this section, which has a hipped roof. Nine regularly-spaced chimneys with multi-flue corniced stacks line the ridge: two flank the central bays, two stand at the sides, and three run along the rear.

Low balustraded forecourt walls of approximately 2.5 metres height are attached to the front, featuring recessed panels, dentilled cornices and flat caps topped by 20th-century lamps. Scrolled ironwork gates are set between gate piers at the sides. Stone railings and a flight of steps lead to the front entrance.

Each pavilion has sashes with glazing bars on the ground floor and nine-pane sashes above. A projecting first-floor band follows the line of the coping to the link-wall. A modillioned eaves cornice and hipped roofs with cupolas crown each pavilion. The cupolas have a base with roundels for clock faces and attached corner columns; Doric columns support an entablature and dome, the left dome being surmounted by a weather-vane. The west pavilion has two lateral stacks; the east pavilion has four. Each pavilion is flanked by an outer wall that formerly enclosed an open yard; the wall to the right is now roofed over. The west pavilion yard wall contains a wrought-iron gate set in an eared architrave.

The linking walls on the west side are obscured by a glazed corridor with a pointed domed skylight. The east linking wall has a plain 20th-century door in an architrave with cornice flanked by pilasters.

The rear of the main block features steps down to a basement entrance at bay three. The central three bays project slightly and are crowned by a triangular pediment. Round-headed sashes with glazing bars occupy the ground floor with a moulded sill band; square-headed sashes are on the first floor. A plain entablature, deep moulded cornice and blocking course finish this elevation. The pavilion rear elevations differ: the left (east) has flanking ramped yard walls with sashes flanked by small round lights; the right (west) has frames with leaded lights on the ground floor and sashes with glazing bars above, with flanking ramped yard walls each containing a six-panel door.

The left return of the main block has central three bays that are canted. Ground-floor sashes with glazing bars are linked by a moulded sill band; nine-pane sashes occupy the first floor. The cornice and parapet match the front. A ground-floor window (now a door) is obscured by the glazed single-storey corridor. The right return is similar, but the plinth is pierced by seven sash windows to the basement. The pavilion side elevations have ground floors obscured by walls, with first-floor sashes with glazing bars.

The interior contains five ground-floor rooms with Adam-style plasterwork, six-panelled doors in elaborate architraves, and internal window shutters. The principal rooms include an entrance hall with four wooden Ionic columns in antis, a fireplace with fluted surround to the left, and a round-arched recess with mirror to the right. The plaster ceiling features profile busts of emperors. The drawing room on the ground floor left has a marble fireplace with a stag in relief and an overmantel with fluted Corinthian columns supporting a broken pediment enclosing an urn with vine leaf swags, with a plaster ceiling above. The former dining room on the ground floor right has a fireplace in white and dark green marble with oval plaques bearing classical figures representing music and dancing, and a ceiling plastered with urns, swags and scrolls.

The breakfast room on the east side, centre, is reached through an anti-room with carved doors leading to the dining room and service areas. It features apsidal ends with arched recesses containing mahogany sideboards supported by paired fluted Doric columns, and a plaster ceiling.

The staircase hall and lady's dressing room (now a board room) on the west side, centre, contain a fine cantilevered spiral staircase with wrought-iron scrolled balustrade and a domed plastered ceiling.

The rear range of rooms was altered in the 19th century when a stone fireplace was inserted into the library. The overmantel incorporates five late medieval carved figures of the Madonna and child and saints. The room contains linen-fold panelling, a coffered ceiling with carved bosses, and a deeply-moulded cross beam marking where an original dividing wall was removed. The first-floor rooms were not examined at the resurvey.

The west pavilion formerly housed the wash house, laundry, hot and cold baths and dressing room. It was converted into a ballroom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with Gothick-arched windows and a strapwork ceiling. The Jacobean-style fireplace bears coats of arms over vine scrolls. The east pavilion, formerly the kitchen block, has been converted into a lecture hall.

Historical Context

Denton Hall is associated with the Fairfax family. The second Lord Fairfax led the Parliamentary forces during the Civil Wars. The old hall stood on higher ground to the north of the present site. The estate was sold by the widow of Thomas Fairfax to James or Henry Ibbetson of Red Hall near Leeds. A new house was built in 1734 following the destruction of the earlier building by fire. The present house was completed in 1778 and was the seat of Sir Henry Ibbetson, baronet, in 1802. In 1976 the estate was purchased by N G Bailey and Co Ltd and the house was converted into a management training centre.