Details
SO 75 NE MARTLEY B 4204 (s.w. side)
Martley
6/104 The Old Hall (formerly
listed as The Rectory)
12.11.51
GV I
Former rectory, now house. Mainly C14 and C15 with subsequent additions and
alterations from C16 to C20. Timber-frame clad in brick, plain tile roof.
Essentially H-plan: C14 central once open hall of 2 bays with through passage
at south end; originally a gap of about 1.5 metres between hall and contemporary
3 bay upper end range to north; service range to south is C15 of 2 bays, with a
single bay at right angles to it of a similar date; lateral stacks to west wall
of hall and north wall of upper end; C17 infill to west of hall of brick, and
a service range of C17 to north of upper end. Garden front: mainly 2 storeys,
irregular fenestration. Late C18 semi-circular projecting bay to left (north)
fronting upper end with parapet partially concealing gable with early C19
pierced bargeboards; three 12-pane sashes to first floor, central glazed door
on ground floor between 2 sashes; hall has two 16-pane sashes with flush sash
boxes to first floor, and 3 similar sashes to ground floor of 12:16:12 sashes,
the central one under a segmental head, the other two under rubbed brick heads;
gabled projecting porch to through passage, has early C19 pierced barge boards,
panelled brick cornice and toothed brick string; 2-light casement lights attic,
above a 12-pane sash with flush sash box under a rubbed brick head with key-
stone on first floor; entrance has a segmental head, and the plank door is
probably C16, as is that at the other end of the passage, original hinges;
gable of cross-wing (service) has early C19 pierced barge boards, 2-light
casement to attic above 12-pane sash with flush sash box under rubbed brick
head with keystone to first and ground floor; blank brick wall to right (south)
of this fronts the single bay service extension. Interior: Hall: central
truss and spere truss of massive timbers are extant; central truss: large
angle braces to tie, above tie-beam are two curved struts from tie to collar
forming 2-centred arch, wind-braces (removed) to slender single purlins;
principal rafters off relatively small scantling inclined at almost 60°;
spere truss: angle braces from spere posts are curved, and form a 2-centred
arch, the apex of which is cut in soffit of the tie-beam; elbowed struts from
tie-beam to principal rafters, also collar; all principal arrises decorated
with ovolo chamfers. Inserted floor of C16 contemporary with staircase inserted
in gap between hall and upper end; newel posts carved in low relief: turned
balusters, moulded string and hand rail. Upper end roof: curved struts from
tie-beam to principals, with collar; pitch of roof similar to hall; in north
wall of west bay are the remnants of a 3-light ogee headed window. Through
passage has 3 ogee headed entrances into service: the west bay of service has
remnants of mid-C15 wall paintings with 2 black letter inscriptions in English
(on the timbers). Roof is of clasped-purlin type with diminished principals,
perhaps early C15. The upper floor is now reached from a stair commencing in
the hall which has been remodelled, but includes mid-C18 turned balusters.
Fittings: Alabaster slab of c1460 from tomb in church on east wall of room in
service wing containing C15 painting (formerly over hall fireplace). Panelling:
some moved C18 pine panelling in east room on ground floor of service range;
early C17 oak panelling with deep frieze in west room on first floor of service
range; imported C18 panelling, installed 1960/1 from Manchester, in rooms to
west of hall. This is an extremely important house with the archaic feature
of a separate upper end range, albeit only 1.5 metres away from the hall. This
was the birthplace of C S Calverley (1831), the poet and parodist, and the child-
hood home of Sir Charles Hastings, founder of the British Medical Association.
(FWB Charles, 1967, "Medieval Cruck-Building and its Derivatives", Society for
Medieval Archaeology, Monograph Series no 2, pp 54/55; BoE p 221; VCH 4, p 290).
Listing NGR: SO7569059877