Great Moreton Hall

Details

MORETON CUM ALCUMLOW C.P. (Off) NEW ROAD SJ 85 NW 7/42 Great Moreton Hall 14.2.67 GV II*

Country house. 1841-43. By Edward Blore for George Ackers. Coursed sandstone ashlar and snecked sandstone rubble with a slate roof. Two storeys with three and four-storey towers. Castellated Gothic. Entrance front: the principal body of the house lies to the right and the service wing and stable court left. The principal body has 6 bays near-symmetrically disposed. Projecting plinth with a moulded top. To the centre at ground floor level is a porte-cochere with diagonal buttresses to the corners and triple-arched openings to each side with continuous hood-mould. Frieze of blind tracery below the battlemented parapet to the centre of which is a projecting canopied niche containing a seated figure. To either side at ground floor level are cross-windows with chamfered ashlar surrounds and trefoil heads to the lights with Tudor hood-moulds. Similar two-light windows to the first floor without transomes. To the centre is a slightly projecting first-floor bay with canted bay window which has trefoil-heads to the lights and a panel of blind tracery below the battlemented parapet which is common to this whole block. To the right hand corner is an octagonal staircase turret which rises to a third storey and has string courses and slit-windows. To the left-hand corner is a square projecting bay with similar ground and first-floor window as seen on the rest of the facade. To the left hand corner is a slightly projecting square staircase turret which has machicolation below the projecting third storey and gargoyles at the level of the flat parapet. To the left of this block and recessed is a large square tower which rises above the staircase hall. This is of snecked sandstone and has an octagonal turret to its right hand corner rising to a fifth floor. Two-light window to the third floor with relieving arch above it and two lancet lights to the fourth floor. Battlemented parapet above. To the left of this is the service wing which is flush with the principal range and also of two storeys although of lesser height. This has 3 bays to the far left divided by buttresses and with slit windows and to right of these is a three-storey gate-tower which has a chamfered archway to the ground floor, a central canopied niche to the first floor with lancet windows to either side and two further lancets to the second floor. To right of this and connecting with the principal range is a range of 8 bays consisting of 5 cross windows to the ground floor with two single-light and one 3-light windows, all having chamfered surrounds and Tudor hood moulds. To the first floor are seven 2-light windows and one single-light window. Battlemented parapet above. To left of this range is the projecting stable-yard range with walling of snecked sandstone rubble. The right hand side wall of this has slit windows to the ground floor and three 2-light C20 windows to the first floor. To the angle is a canted corner with a camber-arched doorway with 4 outer arches modelled as if to accommodate portcullis channels. Further slit windows to left of this. The main front of this range has an entrance tower at left of centre with a chamfered pointed archway and machicolation below the first floor. To right of this are 5 bays, the 4th from right having a hexagonal staircase turret. Lancet windows with ashlar surrounds to both floors, the bays being divided by buttresses with offsets. Two similar bays to left of the entrance tower. To the left is a turret with a jettied battlemented parapet. The right hand side of the house, a projecting bay at right with a projecting plinth, incorporates a basement lancet window. Diagonal buttresses to the corners; and to the first floor is a jettied oriel window resting on a moulded support and having 2 central lights and single lights to the angles. To left of this is a portion of recessed wall which has a canted bay window to its right with two central lights and single lights to the angles, with a battlemented parapet above. To left is a 3-light window with trefoil heads to the lights and a Tudor hood-mould. To the first floor are four 2-light windows with trefoil heads and hood moulds. Battlemented parapet above. To far left is an octagonal turret which has lancet lights. The rear has the principal range at left which has to its right the hall which is of 2-storey height. This has a square oriel window at right with diagonal buttresses to the corners and a tripartite window with pointed arches to the centre and single pointed lights to the sides, the central window having curvilinear tracery. To left of this are three 2-light windows with pointed arches and at left again is a canted bay window before which is a staircase of 2 flights of later date. The bay window has a 2-light pointed window to the centre and single-light lancets to the angles. Battlemented parapet above. To left of this is a range of two-storey height to the left of which is a rectangular bay window which dies at first floor level via broaches to become a canted bay window. This has a central 3-light window with single-light windows to either side and similar single-lights to the returns. Similar arrangement at first floor level. To right of this is a 3-light ground floor window with a similar window without a transom to the first floor. Battlemented parapet above. The tower at right and recessed behind the hall range has a 2-light window to the third floor with a relieving arch over and two lancet lights to the fourth floor. At right of this range and slightly recessed is the service wing which is here of 5 bays with three 3-light windows, one 2-light and one single-light window. To the first floor are two 3-light windows, one 2-light and three single-light windows, all with Tudor hood-moulds. Projecting chimney breast at right with offsets. Battlemented parapet above. To right again are five bays of less height with lancet windows at right of this; and slightly projecting is the wall of the drying ground which has decorative blind lancets and buttresses. Interior: The porte cochere has a tierceron vaulted roof with decorative bosses including the dates 1841 and 1843 to either side of the central boss. A wide flight of stairs rises to the outer lobby which is divided from the porte cochere by a tripartite screen which is now glazed. Panelled double doors lead to the entrance hall which has arcaded panelling to the dado. Ashlar chimney piece with floral decoration to the frieze and a brattished parapet with a central pedestal. Panelled ceiling with moulded plaster ribs and bosses. This entrance hall leads through to the Central Hall which has a panelled wooden ceiling with a central rectangular lantern which also has a panelled ceiling with bosses. Arcaded panelling below the dado line of similar form to that in the entrance hall and an elaborate painted ashlar fire surround with a cambered archway to the centre to either side of which are corbels. Foliate ornament to the frieze and a hipped top with a central coat of arms in a moulded surround. Two tripartite screens separate this hall from the staircase hall. The staircase is of imperial form and the panelled lower newel posts have crocketed pinnacles and connect to the piers of one screen by means of short flying buttresses. The staircase diminishes in width as it rises and has stained-glass windows with curvilinear tracery to the half landing and upper landing. The ceiling is vaulted and has plaster ribs and bosses. The axis formed by the porte cochere, lobby and entrance hall continues on the other side of the Central Hall in the form of a screens passage to the Great Hall which has wooden panelling and terminates in the canted bay window. Double wooden panelled doors at either side lead to the saloon and the Great Hall. The Great Hall has wooden panelling to the lower wall of oak with trefoil and quatrefoil-headed panels. Fire surround of ashlar with massive corbels to either side which support niches with diapered patterns to their backs and these niches have trefoil heads which are supported by corbels which take the form of knights. Decorative band of quatrefoil panels containing shields below the level of the mantel which has a brattished edge. The roof is of hammerbeam form with arched windbracing and 2 purlins and a moulded ridge beam. The oriel window and the serving bay both have vaulted ceilings of plaster. Above the screens passage is a gallery with arcaded wooden balustrade to the rear of which is a raised platform; in this respect and in several other details the hall is similar to that built by W A Nicholson and Charles Tennyson d'Eynecourt at Bayons Manor Lincolnshire in 1836-44. The saloon has two alabaster fire surrounds with ogee arches. Corbels to either side of knights forming brackets. Ball-flower ornament to the mantel frieze and rinceau scrollwork above. The ceiling is dissected into square panels which are subdivided into triangular panels with coats of arms to their centres. Elaborate frieze below. The former drawing room and library also have panelled plaster ceilings.

Source: Nikolaus Pevsner - The Buildings of England : Cheshire & Edward Hubbard 1971.

Listing NGR: SJ8394759493

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

56513

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Hubbard, E, The Buildings of England: Cheshire, (1971)

End of official list entry