NHER 8868 (Building record) - Old Hall

October 1951. Listed Grade I.
Listing Description:
Former manor house. 16th and 17th Century with some late 18th Century refurbishment. Diaper patterned brickwork with a pantiled roof. Long rectangle in plan with an off-centre 3-storey porch and stair outshut directly opposite to rear. 2-storeys with attic. 16th Century porch with polygonal angle turrets topped with obelisk finials. 4-centred moulded archway with a rectangular hood-moulded window above with a 3-light 18th century mullioned and transomed frame. 2-light arched mullioned window at second floor. Crow-stepped gable and canted stair-turret to side. 16th century front door with linenfold panelling and carved spandrels to frame. To south of porch a blocked ogee- and roll-moulded 4-light wooden mullioned window partially obscured by porch; a large early 16th Century - opening with a 4-centred arch and hood-mould; four late 18th century mullioned and transomed windows the 2 to south with arched heads in 'gothick' style; in centre two 20th century mullioned windows in position of former canted bay. To north of porch 3 early 17th century openings with painted moulded brick pediments on pulvinated friezes with 2 flat-topped 3-light dormers and crow-stepped gables to front only. Gable-end stacks with polygonal chimneys; 2 axial stacks; to south rectangular with a cusped blind arcade to base, to north circular. Several early 17th century ovolo-moulded mullioned and transomed windows to rear and north gable-end. 3 3-light flat-topped dormers. Fine 16th century tight ribbon-moulded beams in hall. Dining room fireplace with a 4-centred arched wooden lintel with remains of similar ribbon moulding in spandrels. Late 18th Century barrel vaulted passageways, 'gothick' panelled doors and ribbed geometric plaster ceilings. Early 17th Century winding stair with oak treads and risers around a closed timber-framed well. 2 door frames with 4-centred heads and carved spandrels. Several early 17th Century panelled doors. Very fine plaster ceiling and frieze dated 1614 in centre of north frieze; large central pendant with a complex ribbed geometric framework radiating from it; panels filled with bosses and varied vegetal and geometric motifs; busy inhabited-scroll frieze. Remains of strapwork frieze in adjoining room. 17th Century arched fireplace in attic with a strapwork design above. 17th Century butt-purlin and collar roof to north with remains of an earlier clasped purlin with reduced principals type to south.
Information from (S1).
For additional informatin, see Country Life article (S2).
H. Hamilton (HES), 21 March 2017.

November 1980. Field Observation.
On medieval site, formerly moated; present house 1490 or about 1510, extended 1614.
Barn to northeast.
See report (S3).
E. Rose (NAU) 7 November 1980.

2001. Field Observation.
See report (S4).
E. Rose (NLA) 6 July 2001.

2005.
The building is brick built, has a three storey porch and was restored in the 1960s.
Inside is an ornate plasterwork ceiling dated 1614 (S5).
The house may have been built by Sir Edward Chamberlayn, a courtier of Henry VIII, and a descendant of Edward I (S4).
D. Robertson (NLA) 19 July 2005.

June 2007. Building Survey.
Condition survey and treatment of fragmentary wall paintings in porch chamber.
See report (S6) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 4 March 2015.