Groes Hall

Groes Hall is a large gentry house comprising a main range to the north and a former domestic wing set at right angles to the rear (south), forming a T-shaped plan. The building dates from the 17th century with later modifications.

The main range is two storeys with attics and spans three windows. It has roughcast rendered elevations with stressed quoins and a slate roof. The west gable features projecting verges with pierced bargeboards and a shaped finial. A lateral stack is offset to the right with a paired panelled doorway immediately to its left. Ground floor windows are 6-paned casements, while first floor windows are 12-pane sashes with intersecting tracery in the upper lights. Three hipped dormers with 2-light small paned casements project from the roof slope, with two small stacks to the right, one at the gable apex and one in the front roof slope.

The east gable return is asymmetrical with a rear roof slope outshut over a lower bay. Three windows are aligned in the main gable: ground and first floor windows are large horned sash windows of eight tall panes, and a 12-pane horned sash sits in the gable apex above. The outshut has a 16-pane horned sash on the first floor. The ground floor retains a 4-pane light in a former doorway with a highly ornate carved wooden surround. The outer jambs and lintel are carved with intricate designs, the inner jambs are fluted with an inner arch supported on corbels at the head, fretwork carving decorates the spandrels, and a stressed, shaped keystone crowns the opening. A round-headed 16-pane casement lights the rear south wall.

The west gable return has a projecting rendered brick stack to the left (north), a large window of 4 x 6-pane casements directly to its right, and a lean-to addition at the far right (south) with 2 x 9-pane casement windows. The rear south elevation has a doorway to the left (west) with a first floor window above of 3 x 6-pane casements and a hipped dormer to the attic. To the right of the doorway is a 12-pane casement window. A slightly projecting stair window bay to the right contains a 12-pane casement on the ground floor, a 16-pane casement on the first floor, and an 8-pane light surmounted by a triangular light with angled glazing bars to the attic storey, the top of which slightly breaks the eaves line.

The south wing is a low two-storey range of four windows with a slate roof and rendered brick stacks offset slightly to the right (north) and at the south gable. The principal elevation facing east has all windows as 6-pane casements of two, three and four lights with tile lintels and sills, the first floor windows set directly under the eaves. A half-glazed doorway sits between the second and third windows. At the east end of the south gable return, roughly dressed stone steps lead to a first floor doorway. The west wall of the south wing has a catslide roof extending over lean-to additions with flat roofed dormers on the first floor. A doorway offset to the right (south) end leads to the courtyard. Windows are a mix of 4 and 6-pane casements of one, two and three lights. At the north end of the west wall is an exposed rubble masonry arch partly filled with brick and containing a 3-light casement window.

Interior

The house has been subdivided in the mid 20th century. The south wing contains ground and first floor flats, while the main house to the north has been partitioned off and retains late 19th and early 20th century character.

The entrance to the principal range leads into a hallway containing an 18th-century dog-leg staircase to the first floor. The staircase features a shaped, ramped handrail on turned balusters and newel, with an open string decorated with closed fretwork and scrolled brackets. The attic staircase has shaped splat balusters.

Ground floor rooms are lined with oak panelling that may date from the early 18th century. The sitting room to the rear (south) has a large chamfered bressumer over the fireplace. The long sitting room to the north contains a huge stone fireplace with a massive stone lintel featuring a shallow elliptically arched and chamfered soffit. The jambs are chamfered, and the chimney breast above bears a blank shield with simple floriate designs around the inscription of the date 1667 at the top.

Some first floor rooms retain timber framed wattle and daub walls. One bedroom contains huge rough-hewn beams and a moulded plaster ceiling. Many rooms contain cast iron Regency fireplaces and grates. Bathrooms retain late 19th-century fittings. Attic storey bedrooms also retain cast iron fireplaces, one with a well-detailed moulded and floriate surround. Oak panelled doors feature throughout the house.