Rufford Old Hall is a

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

property in Rufford,

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...

, England. Built in about 1530 for Sir Robert Hesketh, only the Great Hall survives from the original structure. A brick-built wing in the Jacobean style was added in 1661, at right angles to the Great Hall, and a third wing was added in the 1820s. Rufford Old Hall is designated by

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...

as a Grade I

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

, The hall's cottage, coach house and stables, about to the east, are designated Grade II.

History

Until 1936, Rufford Old Hall was in the continuous ownership of the Hesketh family who were

lords of the manor Lord of the Manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England, referred to the landholder of a rural estate. The lord enjoyed manorial rights (the rights to establish and occupy a residence, known as the manor house and demesne) as well as seigno ...

of Rufford from the 15th century. The Heskeths moved to

Rufford New Hall Rufford New Hall is a former country house that belonged to the Heskeths who were lords of the manor of Rufford, Lancashire, England. It replaced Rufford Old Hall as their residence in 1760. From 1920 to 1987 it was used as a hospital and has ...

in 1798. In 1846 Sir Thomas George Hesketh, 5th Baronet married Lady Anna Maria Arabella Fermor, sister and heiress of George Richard William Fermor, 5th and last

Earl of Pomfret Earl of Pomfret (alias Pontefract) was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain created in 1721 for Thomas Fermor, 2nd Baron Leominster. It became extinct upon the death of the fifth earl in 1867. Ancestral titles and achievements The Fermor f ...

. In 1936 Rufford Old Hall, with its collection of

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

and armour and 17th-century oak furniture, was donated to the National Trust by

Thomas Fermor-Hesketh, 1st Baron Hesketh Thomas Fermor-Hesketh, 1st Baron Hesketh (17 November 1881 – 20 July 1944), known as Sir Thomas Fermor-Hesketh, Bt, from 1924 to 1935, was a British peer, soldier and Conservative Member of Parliament. Early life Hesketh was the son of Sir T ...

Shakespeare connection

There is some evidence to suggest that

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

may have performed in the Great Hall. In about 1580 Shakespeare had been sent, by his Stratford schoolmaster, to be an assistant teacher in the household of Alexander Hoghton at Lea Hall near Preston, and the "wilim Shakeshaft nowe dwellynge with me", referred to by Hoghton in his will, is almost certainly Shakespeare. In his will Hoghton, who died in 1581, had bequeathed to Sir Thomas Hesketh his musical instruments and "playe clothes". By about 1585 Shakespeare had joined a company of players kept by Lord Strange, son of Lord Derby, probably having been recommended by Sir Thomas. In her 1974 book, ''Lancashire Legends'', Kathleen Eyre claims that although "it may be no more than a fond hope" there is evidence that a "William Shakeshaft" (a common version of Shakespeare's name) was a youthful member of the "Hesketh Company of Players" who visited in about 1585. The date coincides with Shakespeare's absence from Stratford-on-Avon following a bout of deer-stealing from neighbouring parks, particularly that of Sir Thomas Lucy of

Charlecote Charlecote is a village and civil parish south of Warwick, on the River Avon, in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, England. In 2011 the parish had a population of 194. The parish touches Wasperton, Newbold Pacey ...

Architecture

The timber-framed hall house with great hall, in a late

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

pattern which continued in use in Tudor times, was built for Sir Robert Hesketh in about 1530. The hall, which formed the south wing, is substantially as built, long and wide, with the timbers sitting on a low stone wall. The hall has a flagged floor. It has a stone chimney, five bays, and a hammerbeam roof. The five hammerbeams each terminate, at both ends, in a carved wooden angel. The hall is overlooked by a quatrefoil

squint Squinting is the action of looking at something with partially closed eyes. Squinting is most often practiced by people who suffer from refractive errors of the eye who either do not have or are not using their glasses. Squinting helps momentari ...

in an arched doorway in the second-floor drawing room.Dean, R., 2007, ''Rufford Old Hall'', The National Trust, In 1661 a Jacobean style rustic brick wing was built at right angles to the great hall which contrasts with the medieval black and white timbering. This wing was built from small two-inch bricks similar to

Bank Hall Bank Hall is a Jacobean mansion in Bretherton, Lancashire, England. It is a Grade II* listed building and is at the centre of a private estate, surrounded by parkland. The hall was built on the site of an older house in 1608 by the Banastres ...

, and Carr House and St Michael's Church in

Much Hoole Much Hoole is a village and civil parish in the borough of South Ribble, Lancashire, England. The parish of Much Hoole had a population of 1,851 at the time of the 2001 census, increasing to 1,997 at the 2011 Census. History Hoole derives fro ...

. The west wing, which housed the family apartments was possibly destroyed in a fire. In the 1820s a third wing was constructed, formed out of the medieval domestic offices, and a castellated tower was built to join the Great Hall to the Charles II wing. In 1949 a secret chamber, used as a

priest hole A priest hole is a hiding place for a priest built into many of the principal Catholic houses of England, Wales and Ireland during the period when Catholics were persecuted by law. When Queen Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1558, there were se ...

in the 16th century, was discovered above the Great Hall.Eyre, K. (1974), ''Lancashire Legends'', Clapham, Lancaster, Dalesman.

Fixtures and fittings

A free-standing, carved wooden screen made of

bog oak Bog-wood (also spelled bogwood or bog wood), also known as abonos and, especially amongst pipe smokers, as morta, is a material from trees that have been buried in peat bogs and preserved from decay by the acidic and anaerobic bog conditions, some ...

in the Great Hall probably dates from between 1530 and 1540. It is described by

Pevsner Pevsner or Pevzner is a Jewish surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Aihud Pevsner (1925–2018), American physicist * Antoine Pevsner (1886–1962), Russian sculptor, brother of Naum Gabo * David Pevsner, American actor, singer, da ...

as being "of an exuberance of decoration matched nowhere else in England" and is the only known surviving example from the first half of the 16th century. It stands at the north end of the great hall, covering the entrance to the original kitchens.The Moveable Screen – National Trust leaflet in the Great Hall room guide It has three spiral

finials A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature. In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the apex of a dome, spire, towe ...

, two outer ones carved from single lengths of timber at the sides of the screen framing eight traceried panels. On the top-rail are two angels, a male and female bearing shields with the arms of Fitton and Banastre families. Two horizontal rails are morticed into the uprights. Three errors were possibly incorporated by its makers to avoid a charge of

heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...

, as a contemporary belief was that God alone could create perfection. One panel on the hall side is upside down, on the opposite side one panel has a different pattern and an angel has an extra finger. On the staircase is a painting by Godfrey Kneller of Thomas Hesketh, who was Second MP for Preston in 1722 and who rebuilt the east wing in the 1720s, with his wife Martha and son in 1723. The sitting room displays a copy of the 1577 map of Lancashire by

Christopher Saxton Christopher Saxton (c. 1540 – c. 1610) was an English cartographer who produced the first county maps of England and Wales. Life and family Saxton was probably born in Sowood, Ossett in the parish of Dewsbury, in the West Riding of Yorkshire ...

Gardens

The cottage, coach house and stables east of the house are Grade II listed buildings. There are gardens and pasture to the rear and side of the hall and woodland at the front. The Rufford Branch of the

Leeds and Liverpool Canal The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , crossing the Pennines, and including 91 locks on the main line. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal has several small branc ...

, completed in 1781, passes very close to the site on the east side. A feature of the gardens is a pair of

topiary Topiary is the horticultural practice of training perennial plants by clipping the foliage and twigs of trees, shrubs and subshrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes, whether geometric or fanciful. The term also refers to plants w ...

squirrels.

Ghosts

The hall is reputedly haunted by a grey lady,

Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

and a man in Elizabethan clothing. The figure of a man floating above the canal at the rear of the building has also been reported.Karl, J (2006) "Haunted Places in Lancashire – Rufford Old Hall", Page 73-75

References

External links

List of paintings on viewShakespeare at Rufford BBCRufford Old Hall information at the National Trust"Rufford Old Hall" at nationaltrustimages.org.uk
{{Buildings and structures in West Lancashire, state=collapsed Grade I listed buildings in Lancashire Country houses in Lancashire National Trust properties in Lancashire Historic house museums in Lancashire Gardens in Lancashire Reportedly haunted locations in North West England Timber framed buildings in England Buildings and structures in the Borough of West Lancashire 1530 establishments in England Rufford, Lancashire Hall houses