Broughton Hall

Broughton Hall is a large mansion, with a core dating to 1597. It was extensively altered around the mid-18th century and completely refaced between 1838 and 1841 by George Webster. Wings were added between 1809 and 1814 by William Atkinson, with a further west wing and tower also by Webster. A conservatory was built in 1853.

The house is constructed of ashlar stone with slate and lead roofs. The central block is three stories high, with a basement and attic, and has seven bays arranged symmetrically around a central, mid-18th century canted bay, now partially concealed by a large Greek Ionic porte cochere with paired columns. This order is repeated as a Doric pilastrade across the front facade, with a balustraded attic and porte cochere. Sashed windows with all original glazing bars have cornices to the ground floor and attic; the doorway is topped by a pediment supported on consoles. The wings are two stories high and slightly project forward to frame two Ionic half-columns and a pediment. A tripartite sash window with Ionic columns as mullions fills the ground floor of one wing, while the window above is sashed but without mouldings. Urns act as acroteria. The west service wing, of two stories, is finished to match the central block and culminates in a four-stage tower of square plan, topped by a prominent octagonal cupola resting on eight columns inspired by the Tower of the Winds in Athens. The sides and rear are relatively plain, with the conservatory of 1853, built by Andrews and Delaunay of Bradford, attached. This conservatory is a basilican example, featuring stone Ionic columns externally and cast-iron columns internally, with full glazing. A simple five-bay chapel is also attached, with the service wing tower serving as its belfry.

The interior is almost entirely from the Atkinson period (1809-14). Original features from the 1597 build include a small-panelled room on the first floor, a back staircase potentially dating to the 17th century, and a transverse hall which may reflect a unique element of the original design. Much of the interior retains the decorative scheme from around 1755, featuring Ionic scagliola columns and modillion cornices to ceilings and doorcases. Atkinson's alterations are the primary focus of the interior, encompassing the decoration of the library and dining room, a shallow-domed vestibule and staircase, and the White and Red Drawing Rooms in the eastern addition. These rooms are decorated in a rich but restrained Neoclassical style. The Chapel of the Sacred Heart is entirely Gothic, featuring low quadripartite vaulting, polychromatic stencilling, and a western gallery supported by Gothic Corinthian colonnettes. Broughton Hall is particularly notable as an example of Picturesque Classicism, complemented by the semi-formal grounds designed by W.A. Nesfield.