Little Moreton Hall England, UK

Listed Building Description

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

ODD RODE C.P. (Off) CONGLETON ROAD SJ 85 NW 7/79 Little Moreton Hall 6.6.52 (formerly listed as Moreton Old - Hall)

GV I

Country house. Early C15-c.1600. Timber framed with rendered infill and Flemish bond brick with a stone slate roof. Two and three storeys. The ranges of buildings are grouped around three sides of a courtyard. The present agglomerated appearance of the building is the result of at least seven builds. The eastern wing (including the present parlour and withdrawing room) was built prior to 1450 and included a great hall on the site of the present parlour and withdrawing room, together with service rooms. The present great hall was built c.1450 and the former hall converted to service rooms. In c.1480 the west wing was built incorporating new service rooms, thus creating an H-shaped plan. The former service range was converted to other uses. In 1559 the bay windows were added to the hall (which was divided into two floors at this time) and to the withdrawing room and room above it by Richard Dale. Between 1559 and 1570 a further range was added to the eastern wing including the chapel. The south wing of 3 storeys, including the guests' hall and long gallery, was added c.1570-80 and a further range of service rooms added to the north-western corner of this in c.1600. Northern Front (to Garden): The gable-end at left which is of the earliest portion has small framing with chevron infill to the ground and first floor and decorative quatrefoils to the gable. The first floor and gable are jettied with moulded bressumers. To the ground floor are two C18 sash windows, to left and right of which are 2-light casement windows. Casement window to the first floor of 6 lights. At left of this wing and slightly recessed is a 2-storey garderobe which has a 3-light casement window to the ground floor. Immediately to the left of the wing is a massive chimney stack of English bond brick of c.1480 which has at mezzanine level a bee-bole or light well with pointed arch and a 2-light window to its back. To the top are 4 diamond-shaped chimney stacks of C18 or early C19 brick. To right are the windows of the great hall range having at ground floor level windows of 4 and 6 lights with a transom and to the former first floor windows of 3 and 7 lights, set in small-framed walling. To right again is a projecting C17 porch with close-studded curved walling and a plank door at left and mezzanine staircase window of two lights to right. The projecting wing of c.1480 to right of this has studding with chevron infill to the ground floor and a window of 8 lights with transom in a projecting moulded surround. The coved jetty beneath the gable has decorative panels with quatrefoil infill. Both first floor and gable have quatrefoil panels to their walling and the first floor has an oriel window with coved jetty of 8 lights with moulded mullions and transom and single blocked lights to the sides. The corner posts of both projecting wings on this front are decorated and these and the false jetty between the ground and first floors appear to be additions of c.1559-70 designed to relate the old parts to the new alterations of the courtyard front. The Eastern Front (to Moat):is of three builds, the earlier portion of c.1450 being at right. This has to its far right a garderobe tower with chevron infill to both floors. At left of this is further chevron infill to both floors, the ground floor having an C18 sash window at right of 4 x 6 panes, to left of which are a 2-light and a single-light window. The first floor has a five-light and a 3-light window divided by a king-mullion and having a transom. To left again is a chimney stack of random bond brick with diapered diamond patterns of blue brick which probably dates from the alterations of 1559 and has 2 flues. To left of this is a C19 ground floor window of 6 lights with a transom and to the first floor a window of 8 lights also with transom. The portion to left of this dates f