Broxton Old Hall

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Broxton Old Hall

Broxton Old Hall
Broxton Old Hall (Cheshire)
Broxton Old Hall
Shown within Cheshire
Building information
Town Broxton, Cheshire
Country England
Coordinates 53°04′29″N 2°45′54″W / 53.0746, -2.7651Coordinates: 53°04′29″N 2°45′54″W / 53.0746, -2.7651
Architect John Douglas 1873 extension
Construction start date 1595
Completion date 1873
Structural system Timber framed

Broxton Old Hall (or Broxton Higher Hall) is in Old Coach Road 0.5 miles (1 km) west of the village of Brown Knowl, in the civil parish of Broxton, Cheshire, England (grid reference SJ487533). It is a Grade II listed building.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

The site has been occupied since before 1327.[2] The house dates from 1595.[3] It was built by Thomas Dod and later bought by Sir Philip Egerton in 1670.[4] In 1873 the house was extended to the sides and to the rear to a design partly by John Douglas.[1]

[edit] Architecture

The house is timber framed with oak frames and plaster panels. The roofs are of stone slates and have ornate bargeboards and finials. The chimneys consist of detached diagonal flues. The house is in two storeys. The original part of the house has four bays and two gables and a gabled porch. To the left of this part of the house is a recessed wing with one gable and to its right is a projecting wing with one gable. To the sides of each of these are further recessed wings, that to the left having a further gable. The windows are of oak; those in the upper storey have mullions and those in the lower storey have mullions and transoms.[1] Pevsner describes it as being "an ornate gabled black and white house".[3]

The lodge to the hall is also listed Grade II. It is dated 1873, is a timber framed building on a brick plinth and was designed by John Douglas. It has one storey and is in Jacobethan style.[5]

[edit] Gardens

The grounds of the hall are included in the U.K. Database of Historic Parks and Gardens.[6] They include a formal garden, garden terraces and lawns. The grounds are not open to the public.[2] In the garden is a structure cut into a cliff and partly lined with blocks of sandstone. It dates from the early 19th century or before. Its base measures around 6m square and it is 4m high. On the floor are stone flags and the ceiling slopes to a central ridge. To its right is a shallow partly natural cave. It is listed Grade II.[7] It has been described variously as a "stone parlour",[7] a grotto,[6] or King James' Parlour.[8]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c Images of England: Broxton Old Hall. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-03-11.
  2. ^ a b Broxton Old Hall. Parks & Gardens Data Services. Retrieved on 2008-03-11.
  3. ^ a b Pevsner, Nikolaus; Edward Hubbard [1971] (2003). The Buildings of England: Cheshire. New Haven: Yale University Press, 117. ISBN 0 300 09588 0. 
  4. ^ Robinson, J. M. (1988). Guide to the Country Houses of the North West.  Reference given in The Country House Database. Robin Alston. Retrieved on 2008-03-11.
  5. ^ Images of England: Lodge to Broxton Old Hall. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-03-11.
  6. ^ a b Broxton Old Hall. U.K. Database of Historic Parks and Gardens. Retrieved on 2008-03-11.
  7. ^ a b Images of England: Stone parlour in grounds of Broxton Old Hall. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-03-11.
  8. ^ Caves, mines and quarries. Peckforton Hills Local Heritage Project. Retrieved on 2008-03-11.