Adlington Hall

Details

SJ 98 SW ADLINGTON C.P. MILL LANE (South Side)

3/15 Adlington Hall.

25/7/1952

GV I

Large manor house: great hall finished 1505 for Thomas Legh I, east range and porch added 1581 for Thomas Legh III, major renovations of north range between 1665-70 for Thomas Legh IV, south range of 1757 and west range of 1740 and 1761 for Charles Legh, both partly demolished and altered 1928. Developed from a moated manor house, to an L-shaped plan and finally to a courtyard layout. Partly timber framed and partly brick of 2 periods, all with a Kerridge stone-slate roof. North front: irregular bond brick with stone quoins encases early manor house. Irregular front of 2 and 3 storeys and 6 gables. Mixture of 12 and 16-pane sashes under flat, wedged brick heads and 2 venetian windows of mid C18. Fine 6-board oak, studded door to screens passage with scrolled iron hinges. Some decorated lead guttering and a good rainhead. East front: timber framed on rubble stone plinth. Close studding with middle rail and herring boning. Ovolo-moulded mullioned and mullioned and transomed windows, small oriel and inserted 12 and 16-pane sashes. Coving and moulded band at 1st floor and under gable of 2-storey staircase turret. South front: Flemish bond red brick with sandstone dressings. 2 and 3-storey symmetrical 13-bay front. Low stone plinth, rusticated quoins and modillion cornice. Giant unfluted Ionic tetrastyle portico with plain pillars on octagonal pedestals. Inscription "CHARLES & HESTER LEGH 1757" in frieze and Legh arms in pediment. Semi-circular headed openings on ground storey, eared architraves above, the mid window with a segmental pediment. Either side of portico are 12-pane sashes under flat rusticated heads. West front: mainly demolished apart from left and right ends, but a screen wall rebuilt using elements seen on south front. A venetian window has a dated keystone of 1761. Courtyard: north side has late C17 very large rebated chamfered stone mullioned and transomed windows to hall and former solar. Projecting 2-storey timber framed porch to screen's passage has long inscription of 1581. Interior: North range: screens passage shows massive panelled octagonal posts of original spere truss and some ogee-headed panelling. In hall within spere truss in a very fine organ by Bernard Smith and organ gallery of c1670. Great hall has hammer-beam roof, excellent coving over dias end, clumsy wall paintings of Troy's history and a mid C18 white marble fireplace with attributes of Apollo. This range has a good staircase of c1670 with twisted balusters and carved fir cones on the newels and an oak staircase of 1740. Much good domestic Carolean work upstairs. East range: service rooms of little note. South range: no major rooms but pretty stucco ceilings on upper floor one with Gothick motifs. West range: At northern end of 1740 are a relatively simple dining room below and a more ornate drawing room above. The latter is oak panelled (by Henry Sephton) with Corinthian pilasters and egg and dart moulded panels, the mouldings being continued in the ceiling. Some resited pearwood carving in Gibbons style and good white marble fireplace. For fuller details see: C Legh Adlington Hall, English Life Publications 1980, Pevsner and Hubbard; and Country Life.

Listing NGR: SJ9046280471

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

58181

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Hubbard, E, The Buildings of England: Cheshire, (1971)
Legh, C, Adlington Hall, (1980)

End of official list entry

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