Adlington Hall on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
. Designation as Grade II* on the Register means that the site is "particularly important, of more than special interest".
In 1984 the Hall was used as the location for Stoke Moran, home of Dr Grimesby Roylott, for the episode " The Speckled Band" (1984) of the Granada TV series ''
Adlington Hall is a
. The hall is open to the public for visits and guided tours, and parts of the building can be hired for weddings and social functions.
country house
image:Blenheim - Blenheim Palace - 20210417125239.jpg, 300px, Blenheim Palace - Oxfordshire
An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a Townhou ...
near Adlington, Cheshire
Adlington is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is known as ''Eduluintune'' in the Domesday Book. According to the 2001 census the civil parish had a populati ...
. The oldest part of the existing building, the Great Hall, was constructed between 1480 and 1505; the east wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...
was added in 1581. The Legh family has lived in the hall and in previous buildings on the same site since the early 14th century. After the house was occupied by Parliamentary
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
forces during the Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
, changes were made to the north wing, including encasing the Great Hall in brick, inserting windows, and installing an organ in the Great Hall. In the 18th century the house was inherited by Charles Legh who organised a series of major changes. These included building a new west wing, which incorporated a ballroom, and a south wing with a large portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...
. It is possible that Charles Legh himself was the architect for these additions. He also played a large part in planning and designing the gardens, woodland and parkland, which included a number of buildings of various types, including a bridge known as the Chinese Bridge that carried a summerhouse.
The hall was reconstructed and reduced in size in 1928. The work included demolition of much of the west wing, building a screen wall to fill the gap, and removing parts of the south wing. During the 19th and early 20th centuries the gardens, parkland and woodland became overgrown, and the condition of some of the buildings in them deteriorated. From the middle of the 20th century, work has been undertaken to restore some of the parkland and its buildings, and to create new formal gardens near the hall.
Adlington Hall is recorded in the National Heritage List for England
The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is England's official database of protected heritage assets. It includes details of all English listed buildings, scheduled monuments, register of historic parks and gardens, protected shipwrecks, ...
as a designated Grade I listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
. The stable block has been converted for modern uses; part of it is listed at Grade II*, and the rest is at Grade II. The grounds contain eleven Grade II listed buildings, and the grounds themselves have been designated at Grade II* on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens #REDIRECT Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England #REDIRECT Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England
{{R from move ...
{{R from move ...History
The first known building on the site was aSaxon
The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...
hunting lodge for Earl Edwin. After the Norman conquest
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...
the estate was given to Hugh Lupus, and it remained in the possession of the Norman earl
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the Peerages in the United Kingdom, peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ...
s until 1221, when it passed to the Crown. Henry III granted the manor to Hugh de Corona. Hugh's son Thomas, who had no children, granted it to his sister Ellen, who married John de Legh of Booth in the early 14th century during the reign of Edward II
Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...
, after which it became the ancestral home of the Leghs of Adlington. Originally the hall consisted of timber-framed
Timber framing () and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy Beam (structure), timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and Woodworking joints, joined timbers with joints secure ...
buildings on three or four sides of a courtyard
A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky.
Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary a ...
surrounded by a moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch dug around a castle, fortification, building, or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. Moats can be dry or filled with water. In some places, moats evolved into more extensive water d ...
. The Great Hall, on the north side of the courtyard, was built between 1480 and 1505 for Thomas Legh I. The east wing and porch were added for Thomas Legh III in 1581. During the Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
the hall was held by Colonel Thomas Legh for the Royalists
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gover ...
but was taken twice, in 1642 and in 1644, by the Parliamentary
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
forces. The hall was returned to the Leghs in 1656, and the north front was restored in 1660. Between 1665 and 1670 the north wing was rebuilt for Thomas Legh IV. Windows were inserted and along with the Great Hall, excluding the porch, it was encased in brick.
The estate was inherited in 1739 by Charles Legh, who embarked on a major programme of reconstruction, transforming the hall "from a medium-sized Tudor house into a large Georgian manor". He built a new west wing, which contained a dining room, a drawing room, a library, and a ballroom, the last occupying the whole length of the first floor. He then rebuilt the south wing, connecting it with the new west wing and the older Tudor east wing. At each end of the south wing was a pavilion with a canted bay on its south front. The west pavilion contained the southern end of the ballroom, and the east pavilion housed a chapel. During this time the stable block and other buildings were constructed in the grounds. The architect responsible for this work is unknown, although it has been suggested that the design was by Charles himself. A major reconstruction took place in 1928 under the direction of the architect Hubert Worthington
Sir John Hubert Worthington (4 July 1886 – 26 July 1963) was an English architect.
Early life
Worthington was born at Alderley Edge, near Stockport, the youngest son of architect Thomas Worthington. He was educated at Sedbergh School fr ...
. Much of the west wing was demolished, removing the ballroom but retaining the drawing and dining rooms. To avoid leaving a gap exposing the courtyard, Worthington filled it with a screen wall containing a corridor linking the west and south wings. He decorated this with quoins, cornices and sash windows. The projecting pavilions at the ends of the south front were also demolished. During the Second World War, parts of the Hall were used as a Services maternity ward run by St. Mary's Hospital. In the 1960s the stable block was converted into mews
A mews is a row or courtyard of stables and carriage houses with living quarters above them, built behind large city houses before motor vehicles replaced horses in the early twentieth century. Mews are usually located in desirable residential ...
flats. Between 2004 and 2009 the east wing was restored.
Architecture
Exterior
The plan of the hall consists of four ranges or wings arranged as a quadrangle around acourtyard
A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky.
Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary a ...
, and comprises a mixture of architectural styles. The north and east wings are in 15th- and 16th-century black-and-white timber framing
Timber framing () and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy Beam (structure), timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and Woodworking joints, joined timbers with joints secure ...
, and the south and west wings are in brick dating from the middle of the 18th century. The north front is in brick with stone quoins
Quoins ( or ) are masonry blocks at the corner of a wall. Some are structural, providing strength for a wall made with inferior stone or rubble, while others merely add aesthetic detail to a corner. According to one 19th-century encyclopedia, ...
enclosing the timber-framing. It is irregular, in two or three storeys with six gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
s. It contains a mixture of 12- and 16-pane sash window
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels, or "sashes". The individual sashes are traditionally paned windows, but can now contain an individual sheet (or sheets, in the case of double glazing) of glass.
History
...
s, and two Venetian windows. On the courtyard side is a two-storey timber-framed porch bearing a long inscription dated 1581. The east wing is timber-framed, with close studding
Close studding is a form of timber work used in timber-framed buildings in which vertical timbers ( studs) are set close together, dividing the wall into narrow panels. Rather than being a structural feature, the primary aim of close studding is ...
, on a rubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture; undressed especially as a filling-in. Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as 'brash' (compare cornbrash)."Rubble" def. 2., "Brash n. 2. def. 1. ''Oxford English Dictionar ...
stone plinth
A pedestal or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In civil engineering, it is also called ''basement''. The minimum height o ...
. It contains mullion
A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid sup ...
ed and transomed windows, a small oriel window
An oriel window is a form of bay window which protrudes from the main wall of a building but does not reach to the ground. Supported by corbels, bracket (architecture), brackets, or similar cantilevers, an oriel window generally projects from an ...
, and 12- and 16-pane sash windows. There is also a two-storey staircase turret
Turret may refer to:
* Turret (architecture), a small tower that projects above the wall of a building
* Gun turret, a mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon
* Optical microscope#Objective turret (revolver or revolving nose piece), Objective turre ...
. The south wing is in Flemish bond
Flemish bond is a pattern of brickwork that is a common feature in Georgian architecture. The pattern features bricks laid lengthwise (''stretchers'') alternating with bricks laid with their shorter ends exposed (''headers'') within the same cou ...
brick with sandstone
Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
dressings. It is symmetrical, in two and three storeys, and 13 bays
A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...
. It is set on a low stone plinth, and has rusticated quoins. In the centre is a portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...
rising to the full height of the building. This consists of four plain Ionic columns each of which is carried on an octagonal pedestal
A pedestal or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In civil engineering, it is also called ''basement''. The minimum height o ...
. It has a frieze
In classical architecture, the frieze is the wide central section of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic order, Ionic or Corinthian order, Corinthian orders, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Patera (architecture), Paterae are also ...
bearing the inscription "CHARLES & HESTER LEGH 1757", and its pediment
Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...
contains the Legh 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 ...
. Behind the portico are two round-arched windows and a round-arched door on the ground floor, over which is a window with a Palladian
Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...
pediment. On each side of the portico are 12-pane sash windows under flat rusticated heads. Only the left and right ends of the west wing are still present, and they are joined by a screen wall. Inside the courtyard, on the south and west sides, is a cloister
A cloister (from Latin , "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open Arcade (architecture), arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle (architecture), quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cat ...
.
Interior
The major part of the north wing is occupied by the medieval Great Hall. This has a hammer-beam roof, with carvings of angels that were added at a later date. The roof is plastered, but has been painted in such a way that it appears to be panelled. At the end that would have originally been occupied by the high table is "the finestcanopy
Canopy may refer to:
Plants
* Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests)
* Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes
Religion and ceremonies
* Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...
in the county", according to the authors of the ''Buildings of England
The ''Pevsner Architectural Guides'' are four series of guide books to the architecture of the British Isles. ''The Buildings of England'' series was begun in 1945 by the art historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, with its forty-six original volumes pub ...
'' series. This is "a rare wooden version of the cloths of estate hung over the high table in the Middle Ages to give splendour to the appearance of the Lord of the Manor
Lord of the manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England and Norman England, referred to the landholder of a historical rural estate. The titles date to the English Feudalism, feudal (specifically English feudal barony, baronial) system. The ...
". It consists of five tiers of panels, divided by oak ribs into 60 compartments, each of which is painted with the arms of Cheshire families. At the intersections of the ribs, instead of bosses, there are carved letters spelling out an inscription including the date 1505. At one time the scheme may have been greater, as an account dated 1611 records a display of over 180 coats of arms. Under the canopy is a mural
A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage.
Word mural in art
The word ''mural'' ...
of Hector
In Greek mythology, Hector (; , ) was a Trojan prince, a hero and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. He is a major character in Homer's ''Iliad'', where he leads the Trojans and their allies in the defense of Troy, killing c ...
and Andromache
In Greek mythology, Andromache (; , ) was the wife of Hector, daughter of Eetion, and sister to Podes. She was born and raised in the city of Cilician Thebe, over which her father ruled. The name means "man battler", "fighter of men" or "m ...
. The side walls contain murals depicting the history of Troy
Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...
. The latter had been painted over until they were revealed in 1859, when the family were playing with a shuttlecock
A shuttlecock (also called a birdie or shuttle, or ball) is a high-drag projectile used in the sport of badminton. It has an open conical shape formed by feathers or plastic (or a synthetic alternative) embedded into a rounded cork (or ru ...
and damaged the overlying plaster. The other end of the hall is supported by a spere truss formed by two giant oak trunks, carved into an octagonal shape and covered in panels. Within the spere truss is an organ (see below). To the sides of the organ are murals depicting, on one side Arabella Hunt, and on the other Saint Cecilia
Saint Cecilia (), also spelled Cecelia, was a Roman Christian virgin martyr, who is venerated in Catholic, Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox, Anglican Communion, Anglican, and some Lutheran churches, such as the Church of Sweden. She became the ...
playing a harp. Below the murals were the doors to the buttery and pantry
A pantry is a room or cupboard where beverages, food, (sometimes) dishes, household cleaning products, linens or provisions are stored within a home or office. Food and beverage pantries serve in an ancillary capacity to the kitchen.
Etymol ...
. Both doors are now blocked, replaced by panels carved with animals and foliage. Also in the Great Hall is a fireplace decorated with the head of Apollo
Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...
.
In the west wing are the surviving rooms from Charles Legh's extension, the dining room on the ground floor and the drawing room above it. Both rooms are panelled and decorated in Classical style, with pediments over the doors and chimneypieces. The dining room is the simpler of the two, and contains a white marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
fireplace that has been dated to 1742. The fireplace in the drawing room is also in white marble but is more elaborate, carved with scrolls, garlands, and a profile of Minerva
Minerva (; ; ) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. She is also a goddess of warfare, though with a focus on strategic warfare, rather than the violence of gods such as Mars. Be ...
. This room also contains giant Corinthian pilasters. Above its doors are wood-carvings in the style of William Kent
William Kent (c. 1685 – 12 April 1748) was an English architect, landscape architect, painter and furniture designer of the early 18th century. He began his career as a painter, and became Principal Painter in Ordinary or court painter, b ...
, depicting the heads of Bacchus
In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ) by the Gre ...
, Ceres, Flora
Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...
, and Neptune
Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun. It is the List of Solar System objects by size, fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 t ...
. The rooms in the south wing include family sitting rooms decorated with Rococo
Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...
style ceilings, and Gothic and Chinoiserie
(, ; loanword from French '' chinoiserie'', from '' chinois'', "Chinese"; ) is the European interpretation and imitation of Chinese and other Sinosphere artistic traditions, especially in the decorative arts, garden design, architecture, lite ...
motifs. Also in the rooms of this wing are items moved from the demolished parts of the west wing. The east wing contains service rooms.
Organ
The organ was installed in the Great Hall in the late 17th century. There is some dispute in respect of the precise date of installation and the builder. It was probably built in about 1670, and has been attributed to Bernard "Father" Smith, but "no conclusive evidence has come to light either to substantiate or to dismiss this theory". It has two manuals, no pedals, and fourteen speaking stops. It includes three 17th-century reed stops, which is a rarity for the time. The organ was "remade" in about 1680 by Christian Smith, and rebuilt in 1741–42 by Glyn and Parker. In 1958–59 it was restored byNoel Mander
Noel Percy Mander Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, MBE, FSA (19 May 1912 – 18 September 2005) was a British organ builder and founder of the firm N.P Mander later known as Mander Organs Limited.
A native of Crouch, Se ...
, at which time it had been derelict for a century or more. The organ has a "very fine Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
case", in two tiers. In the lower tier are the two manual keyboards over which is a row of pipes. The upper tier consists of five panels containing pipes, which are flanked by Corinthian pilaster
In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...
s. Over the top is a large curved hood containing gilded
Gilding is a decorative technique for applying a very thin coating of gold over solid surfaces such as metal (most common), wood, porcelain, or stone. A gilded object is also described as "gilt". Where metal is gilded, the metal below was tradi ...
statues of putti
A putto (; plural putti ) is a figure in a work of art depicted as a chubby male child, usually naked and very often winged. Originally limited to profane passions in symbolism,Dempsey, Charles. ''Inventing the Renaissance Putto''. University ...
playing trumpets, and a coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
celebrating the marriage of John Legh to Isabella Robartes in 1693. The hall's website states it is "without doubt England's most important surviving instrument from the late 17th century". It has been awarded a Historic Organ Certificate. The organ was filmed and recorded for the documentary '' The Elusive English Organ''.
The composer Handel
George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti.
Born in Halle, Germany, H ...
was a friend of the Legh family and played the organ in 1741 or 1742. He also composed the music for a hunting song, the words of which had been written by Charles Legh. There is a tradition that Handel composed '' The Harmonious Blacksmith'' at the hall, but it is not possible to confirm this.
Grounds
The hall is surrounded by a landscape park and woodland, covering in total about . In addition to the buildings in the grounds, Charles Legh played a large part in designing the layout of the gardens in the 18th century. Over the years parts of the grounds have become overgrown, and the condition of the buildings has deteriorated. Since the 1950s work has been carried out to improve the grounds, and to develop parts of the gardens in a more modern style. To the north of the house a rose garden has been created and, beyond that a yew maze. To the southeast of the hall is the stable block which partly surrounds a courtyard. It has a south front of nine bays, the middle three of which project forwards and have a pediment carried on four large Doric pilasters. The block originally had acupola
In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, usually dome-like structure on top of a building often crowning a larger roof or dome. Cupolas often serve as a roof lantern to admit light and air or as a lookout.
The word derives, via Ital ...
, but this has been removed. A formal garden has been built between the east wing and the stable block. Standing in this garden is a lead statue of a reclining, naked male figure, said to be Father Tiber, the river god. This formerly stood in the wilderness
Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plurale tantum, plural) are Earth, Earth's natural environments that have not been significantly modified by human impact on the environment, human activity, or any urbanization, nonurbanized land not u ...
garden. On the wall behind the statue are two carved unicorn
The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since Classical antiquity, antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn (anatomy), horn projecting from its forehead.
In European literature and art, the unico ...
heads, the emblem of the Legh family. These formerly stood on pillars at the eastern entrance to the grounds. The statues have been designated as a Grade II listed building. A Grade II building is one that is "nationally important and of special interest". To the south of the formal garden is a stone statue of Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
carved by George Turner and dated 1837. To the west of the hall is a ha-ha
A ha-ha ( or ), also known as a sunk fence, blind fence, ditch and fence, deer wall, or foss, is a recessed landscape design element that creates a vertical barrier (particularly on one side) while preserving an uninterrupted view of the lan ...
in rubble sandstone dating from the 18th century. It was built to act as a barrier between the west side of the garden and the deer park beyond it, and is listed Grade II. Immediately to the south of the hall is a circular lawn, in the centre of which is a sundial
A sundial is a horology, horological device that tells the time of day (referred to as civil time in modern usage) when direct sunlight shines by the position of the Sun, apparent position of the Sun in the sky. In the narrowest sense of the ...
that probably dates from about 1825. Constructed in ashlar
Ashlar () is a cut and dressed rock (geology), stone, worked using a chisel to achieve a specific form, typically rectangular in shape. The term can also refer to a structure built from such stones.
Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, a ...
buff sandstone and standing on a pair of circular steps, it consists of an octagonal base with a partly fluted baluster
A baluster () is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its ...
supporting an octagonal moulded capstone
__NOTOC__
Capstone may refer to: Architecture
* Keystone (architecture), also known as a capstone
Brands and enterprises
* Capstone Investment Advisors, a US investment management firm
* Capstone Partners, an investment banking firm
* Capstone P ...
. The capstone carries a copper plate inscribed with Roman numerals and the initials "TL", and has a simple triangular gnomon
A gnomon (; ) is the part of a sundial that casts a shadow. The term is used for a variety of purposes in mathematics and other fields, typically to measure directions, position, or time.
History
A painted stick dating from 2300 BC that was ...
. The sundial is also listed Grade II.
Leading south from the lawn is a walk known as the Lime Avenue, which is entered through gates dated 1688. The gates are in wrought iron
Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.05%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4.5%), or 0.25 for low carbon "mild" steel. Wrought iron is manufactured by heating and melting high carbon cast iron in an ...
and the piers in ashlar buff gritstone
Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone. This term is especially applied to such sandstones that are quarried for building material. British gritstone was used for millstones to mill flour, to grind wood into pulp for ...
; these are again listed Grade II. The avenue leads to another Grade II listed building, a structure known as the Shell House, so-called because its interior is decorated with shells and coloured mirrors. It is a single-storey cottage constructed in red brick with buff sandstone dressings. The roof is in stone-slate and the chimney is brick. The wall is in brick with a stone coping
Coping refers to conscious or unconscious strategies used to reduce and manage unpleasant emotions. Coping strategies can be cognitions or behaviors and can be individual or social. To cope is to deal with struggles and difficulties in life. It ...
. In front of Shell Cottage another sundial, also listed Grade II. This was probably built in the early 18th century for John Legh, and moved to its present position in the middle of that century. It is thought that the pillar on which it stands was originally a Saxon
The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...
cross base. The octagonal copper plate is inscribed with Roman numerals, the longitude
Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east- west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek lett ...
of Adlington, and John Legh's initials. To the front of the Shell House is another walk, known as the Yew Walk. At the back and side of the house is a rockery
A rock garden, also known as a rockery and formerly as a rockwork, is a garden, or more often a part of a garden, with a landscaping framework of rocks, stones, and gravel, with planting appropriate to this setting. Usually these are small ...
.
To the south and west of the Shell House is a wooded area known as the Wilderness
Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plurale tantum, plural) are Earth, Earth's natural environments that have not been significantly modified by human impact on the environment, human activity, or any urbanization, nonurbanized land not u ...
, through which runs the River Dean (or Dene). Many of the winding paths created by Charles Legh in the Wilderness are now overgrown, and some of the buildings are in a poor condition, or have collapsed into ruin. One building still in good condition is the Tig House, a small square pavilion overlooking the river, an early example of a building in the Chinoiserie style. It is constructed in red brick and partly clad in black and white timber framing
Timber framing () and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy Beam (structure), timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and Woodworking joints, joined timbers with joints secure ...
. It has a stone-slate pyramidal roof with a wooden finial
A finial () 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 (geometry), apex of a dome, spire, tower, roo ...
, and is listed Grade II. Near to this is a bridge known as the Chinese Bridge crossing the river, but the summerhouse which once stood on the bridge is no longer present. Another structure in the Wilderness is the Temple of Diana
Diana most commonly refers to:
* Diana (name), given name (including a list of people with the name)
* Diana (mythology), ancient Roman goddess of the hunt and wild animals; later associated with the Moon
* Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997), ...
. This is a circular temple with a dome constructed in ashlar buff sandstone. It stands on a stylobate
In classical Greek architecture, a stylobate () is the top step of the crepidoma, the stepped platform upon which colonnades of temple columns are placed (it is the floor of the temple). The platform was built on a leveling course that fl ...
which supports six Doric columns and an entablature
An entablature (; nativization of Italian , from "in" and "table") is the superstructure of moldings and bands which lies horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and ...
. The structure is listed Grade II. This appears to be in good condition, but in the early 2000s was said to be suffering from damp. Other buildings known as the Rathouse and the Hermitage, have been damaged by falling trees. At the north entrance to the grounds is a pair of gate piers Piers may refer to:
* Pier, a raised structure over a body of water
* Pier (architecture), an architectural support
* Piers (name), a given name and surname (including lists of people with the name)
* Piers baronets, two titles, in the baronetages ...
that are listed Grade II. The piers are in rusticated ashlar sandstone and are surmounted by ball finials. The gates are iron and are similar to those at the end of the lime avenue. At the other end of the grounds, at the site of the former south approach, is a pair of sandstone gate piers dating from the middle of the 18th century. They originally carried the carved unicorn heads that are now in the formal garden, and were left isolated when the route of the turnpike road was moved. They are listed Grade II.
Present day
Adlington Hall stands in open countryside to the west of the village of Adlington,Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Merseyside to the north-west, Greater Manchester to the north-east, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire to the south-east, and Shrop ...
, England. It was designated a Grade I listed building on 25 July 1952. Grade I listing means that the building is acknowledged to be "of exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally important". The hall was privately owned by the Leigh family, who lived in the hall, and was sold in 2023 with 1,921 acres, the guide price having been £30 million. It is open to the public and for guided tours for groups at advertised times.
The Great Hall and the Hunting Lodge are available to be hired for weddings and social functions. The south wing of the stable block has been converted into eight flats and is known as The Mews. It has been designated as a Grade II* listed building. Grade II* listing applies to "particularly important buildings of more than special interest". The east wing is listed Grade II and has been converted into two flats and tea rooms. The landscape park has been registered at Grade II* in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens #REDIRECT Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England #REDIRECT Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England
{{R from move ...
{{R from move ...Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
''. In 1986 it was used again in the series for the " Abbey Grange" episode.
See also
*Grade I listed buildings in Cheshire
The county of Cheshire is divided into four unitary authorities: Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire East, Warrington, and Halton.
As there are 142 Grade I listed buildings in the county they have been split into separate lists for each unita ...
* Listed buildings in Adlington, Cheshire
Notes
A spere is a fixed structure at the lower end of a great hall, screening it from the screens passage behind it.References
External links
Official website
{{Authority control Tourist attractions in Cheshire Grade I listed buildings in Cheshire Grade I listed houses Gardens in Cheshire Historic house museums in Cheshire Timber framed buildings in Cheshire Country houses in Cheshire Houses completed in 1505 Houses completed in 1928 1505 establishments in England