Rock Hall

Details

NU 2020 RENNINGTON ROCK VILLAGE (West end)

15/217 Rock Hall

GV II*

House. C13 or early C14; south wing converted into a tower in late C14 or C15; remodelled in early C17 for the Salkeld family; partly ruined after serious fire in 1752; C19 restorations and extensions for Bosanquet family include south front c.1820 by John Dobson and north-west wing of mid C19 by F.R. Wilson. Medieval parts squared stone and rubble; C17 parts large rubble; early C19 parts tooled stone with tooled ashlar dressings; north-west wing rubble with ashlar dressings. Welsh slates on north-west wing; C20 waterproof covering on main block roof; flat leaded roofs on early C19 parts. Complicated plan; early medieval house probably H-plan; south wing converted into tower with additional turret on south; C17 extensions to west of hall block; north wing of original H-plan largely destroyed in C18 fire; two semi-octagonal 2- storey blocks added to south front flanking turret c.1820. Mid-C19 wing attached to north-west corner of extended hall block.

East elevation: Main part 3 storeys, 1 + 3 + 1 bays. Slightly-recessed centre is hall block; central blocked doorway in moulded flat-pointed arch within square frame, with Salkeld arms and cable-moulded sundial above. Castellated bay window with wooden mullions and transoms on left is probably early C19; other windows C17, mullioned and transomed, of 3 or 4 lights, under hoodmoulds. Ground floor of left bay shows large squared stonework of earliest phase, with chamfered set-back above. Inserted doorway, with vertical-panelled double doors in bolection-moulded eared surround, flanked by small loops; straight joint near left end shows thickening of original wall when tower constructed. Outline of early medieval gable visible above, with inserted C17 3-light windows to 1st and 2nd floors; embattled parapet. Right bay is largely ruined above first floor level, but shows similar masonry and outline of early medieval gable, with gunloop above suggesting that this wing was also raised into a tower.

South elevation: 2 + 3 storeys, 3 irregular bays. Recessed centre is turret of late medieval tower, with blocked loop window and old corbelled-out parapet. Inserted C19 windows and embattled porch with flat-pointed doorway. To either side are projecting semi-octagonal 2-storey bays with 2- and 3-light mullioned-and-transomed windows under hoodmoulds, and embattled parapets now partly fallen.

West elevation: 2 + 3 storeys, 5 irregular bays. Centre part is C17 wing with original windows, with west wall of tower set back on right; in front of these parts are castellated early C19 single-storey offices. To left of C17 wing is early C19 three-storey part with an embattled turret; left end is north-west wing with mullioned-and-transomed windows and a crow-stepped gable; similar gable on left return.

Interior: No medieval or C17 features exposed, but wall thicknesses up to 1.7 metres. Entrance lobby has early C19 groined plaster ceiling; some early C19 fireplaces with Bosanquet arms.

Historical notes. Robert de Tuggal obtained permission to conduct divine service in his chapel here in 1359. In 1549 the hall was the headquarters of a band of Spanish mercenaries, engaged against the Scots, under Sir Julian Romero. It was held by the Salkelds from 1620 to 1705, who played a prominent part in the Civil War in the area.

In use as a youth hostel at the time of survey. An important building difficult to interpret without a full measured survey.

Listing NGR: NU2008220265

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

237108

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.