Details
LEEDS
SE33NW STONEGATE ROAD, Moor Allerton
714-1/7/993 (South side (off))
22/01/91 Moorfield House and attached
outbuildings and walls
II
Country house, now retirement home, with stables, outbuildings
and wall. Early C19, possibly later C19 additions and
alterations c1960. Sandstone ashlar: chisel-tooled walling,
plain lintels, bands and porch; grey slate hipped main roof,
lead porch roof; large ashlar stacks forward of ridge flanking
central bay on main front, right return and rear left, 6-flue
rendered stack rear right. 2 storeys, 3-bay entrance facade
faces north-west with a slightly projecting 1 x 2-bay wing at
northern (left) end; 5-bay garden front faces south-west.
Entrance front: central single-storey porch against the
slightly-projecting pedimented central bay has double doors,
corner pilasters with sunk panels and carved laurel wreaths,
entablature, cornice. Flanking and first-floor centre windows
are almost full height with margin lights and flat-faced stone
mullions under segmental and rectangular recesses; a similar
window to the added projecting bay, left. Remaining
upper-floor windows are tall and narrow, ground-floor windows
boarded and upper-floor windows have C20 frames. Projecting
sill band, plain cornice flanking central pediment, blocking
course.
Right return, garden front: a fine full-height semicircular
3-window bay; a sunk panel above all windows. Rear: a
slightly-projecting central bay, 3-light and sash-type
windows.
INTERIOR: retains columned screen in entrance hall, and
contemporary plasterwork.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: stables and outbuildings: 2 storeys; a
rectangular block with lower projecting ranges on north-east
side; linked to the house by a narrow range of outbuildings;
much original fenestration including a 3-light window on the
south-west side, hipped roof with cupola; c1960 ground-floor
alterations and additions in stable yard, including cement
render.
Wall: ashlar, approx 2m high, attached to the west corner of
the stable block; a fine curved and ramped screen wall to
stable yard with plain side gateway and gate pier.
HISTORICAL NOTE: a small country house built before 1822 on a
prominent site on the outskirts of the city, probably by a
mill owner; by 1842 John Purchon lived there. Purchon was an
'army and police clothier and woollen merchant' (Directory
1842) who was born in Rothwell in 1782. He set up as a
book-keeper at No.28 Kirkgate (qv) and became a cloth merchant
by 1834. It is probable that he established his business by
supplying the Leeds Police Force which began operations in
1836 and from which the Fire Brigade was formed in 1842;
Purchon's Yard, Kirkgate, was named from his workshops there.
Moorfield was occupied by Isabella Purchon, John's daughter,
in 1857, the Revd William Richmond in 1861 and William Cooke,
a manufacturer of paper hangings, in 1881; Mrs Mellor was the
occupier in 1905.
Probably mid C19 alterations to the house include the front
entrance porch and wing to left, the 6-flue ?kitchen stack at
the rear and extensions to the coach-house. Altered c1960 for
conversion to retirement home.
(Directories of Leeds, 1822-1905; Baine's Map of Leeds:
1822-).
Listing NGR: SE3031538784
