Details
99/0/10070 BRADFORD ROAD
01-OCT-04 Birkenshaw
Oakroyd Hall, Fire Service HQ, Oakroyd
Drive
II
House, now Fire Service HQ, built in 1867 for the Ackroyd family on the site of a former Colliery. Two storey H-plan with 3-storey extension to rear and single storey 1902 billiard room to north-east wing. C20 extensions to west. Main house in coursed ashlar, west wing extension in coursed stone, all under blue slate roofs.
EXTERIOR: South-east elevation: central recess with three windows on each floor, first floor with semi-circular arches, coped gabled wing to either side. Ground floor, canted stone mullioned bay windows carrying 'guilloche' balustraded balconies to first floor windows which are original, in palladian style with semi-circular arches, deeply moulded and with alternating plain and vermiculated voussoirs. Continuous moulded string course at arch springing level.
North-east elevation: symmetrical broken front with elevated segmental pediment.Two ground floor and three first floor windows. Central round-headed doorway with moulded surrounds and carved keystone, door with margin lights and fanlight above. Rusticated quoins to ground floor pilasters around doorway. Balcony above with "guilloche" balustrade supported on scrolled consoles. First floor windows with semi-circular arches. Ornamental scrolling in tympanum of pediment.
West wing extension: 2 storeys with lucerne windows above, in double hipped roof, coursed stone. Ground floor obscured by modern extensions, lucerne windows have semi-circular arches and segmental pediments. Two of these have original glazing.
Billiard room: single storey extension to north-east wing, facade of coursed ashlar, other elevations coursed stone. North-east elevation: rectangular bay with stone mullioned window, two further two-arch mullioned windows to north-west elevation, all with decorative leading in art nouveau style. Decorative carved stone roundels to either side of bay. Single chimney stack to north-west gable.
INTERIOR: Square entrance lobby with moulded plaster ceiling and elaborate coving, inner doorway matching outer door with round-headed arch supported on plain pilasters, leading to hallway with moulded coving, pilasters with scrolled capitals and panelling on lower part of walls . Ionic style columns support entrance to stairwell to right. Open well with quarter pace landings, elegant metal balusters and moulded wooden handrail. Arched stair window with replacement glazing following original pattern. Ceiling has deep coving with elaborate moulding. Principal rooms to left of hall, first with elaborate dentilated coving, wall panels partly surmounted by decorative frieze, decorative architrave to door, two Corinthian style columns and bay window with replacement glazing. Second room to left forms ante-room to second principal room. This has elaborate moulded coving, wall panelling, moulded plaster ceiling and extra decorative frieze on chimney breast. Window similar to first room. Remainder of ground floor contains offices etc, including link passages to modern extensions, and second staircase. First floor is altered and relatively plain, though window frames are original throughout. Second staircase continues into second, attic floor where two original windows remain. Billiard room accessed via wood panelled door, wood panelled throughout with elaborate carved wooden and tile fireplace and overmantel, exposed stone arch to bay window and exposed stone mullions to north-west facing windows.
HISTORY: House in private ownership until 1947 when it became a childrens home, subsequently a government building and, since 1964, as the Fire Service headquarters.
Listed at Grade II as a mostly intact mid-Victorian house with a fine c.1900 billiard room that, despite some C20 extensions and alterations, retains its handsome Italiante elevations and a good quantity of interior interest.
