Description

SJ 30 NW
2/87

WORTHEN CP
Hampton Hall

01.12.51

GV
II*
Country house. 1681-86 for Henry Powell, possibly incorporating parts of an earlier house, altered 1749 for Edward Herbert; later additions and alterations include range of 1938 set back to rear on left.

Red brick (left wing with thin bricks of mixed English and Flemish bonds); slate roofs with crow-stepped gable ends to centre section and hipped to projecting wings. Late C17 house comprised central rectangular section with projecting wings to left and right; although left may in fact be a rebuilding of an earlier structure.

Central section: apparently of three storeys over semi-basement but actually only of two to left of entrance, partly rebuilt brick parapet with dentilled capping conceals roof. Seven windows; flush-framed eight-paned glazing bar sashes with gauged heads, those to ground floor are taller: second tier of windows consists of pairs of roundels to left and right with three blind rectangular openings to centre; two roundels to left are dummies while that on right has had its original thick glazing bars replaced; semi-basement has four small segmental-headed windows, two to left of entrance blind. Central entrance; sandstone ashlar porch, approached by straight flight of twelve steps, has round-headed open arches to front and sides with shaped pediment broken by Herbert coat-of-arms: dated 1749 with numbers '17' inscribed to left of keystone of front arch and '49' to right; eight-panel double inner doors.

Left wing: projecting brick plinth has slate capping and may represent part of an earlier building; date 1686 in large sandstone numbers to left and right of second floor windows with letters 'H P' picked out in brick to centre, refers to completion of late C17 house. Two storeys over semi-basement, moulded wooden eaves cornice and continuous floor band; two windows, flush-framed eight-paned glazing bar sashes with gauged heads to both floors, segmental-headed openings to semi-basement partly infilled and with later windows inserted. Left return has three glazing bar sashes on each floor, two to left and one to right of integral brick stack, which has recessed rectangular panel with curious cracker-shaped relief and dentilled band at eaves level; slate-hung hip-roofed dormers to left and right. Right return has blocked windows on each floor in angle with centre section.

Right wing: probably slightly later than centre section (see straight joint) and built to balance existing left wing: two storeys over semi-basement with moulded eaves cornice and floor band as on left wing; two glazing bar sashes on each floor with segmental-headed windows to semi-basement as in centre section. Right return has three segmental-headed windows with mixture of mid C19 sashes and casements on each floor and narrow late C20 casement inserted on first floor; slate-hung hip-roofed dormers in roof slope, one to left and three to right of tall integral lateral stack with blind openings on each floor within shaft; integral end stack to right. Most prominent feature is two storey bow added to far left c.1749. Red brick with sandstone ashlar dressings. Moulded cornice with coped brick parapet surmounted by stone eagle with outspread wings; Venetian window on first floor with Ionic capitals and original thick glazing bars; stone floor band and plain pedimented stone doorcase with four-panel door approached by flight of five semi-circular steps; half-glazed door to right and brick mounting block. Tall crow-stepped gabled projection to rear, also added c.1749, houses main staircase.

Interior: main room (to left of entrance) has late C17 moulded stone fireplace and painted C18 panelling; one room in right wing is completely oak panelled with dado and large bevelled panels reaching to moulded cornice, characteristic of early C18 work; fireplace with swagged overmantel in same room is contemporary. Wide mid C18 staircase with three elaborately twisted balusters to each shallow tread, moulded handrail and open string; plainer oak staircase in right wing is probably late C17. Several panelled rooms on first floor with simple decoration to friezes; panelled doors and shutters to windows throughout. Obliquely truncated stone inscribed '1681/H-P/I-F' (Henry Powell, son of John Powell) in stone cellar of left wing probably commemorates the beginning of the late C17 building but is not in situ.

Several urn-shaped finials, formerly situated on the brick parapet of the centre section, are now in the garden (not included in this list). Three bay Georgian-style brick range, dated 1938, set back to rear on left.

B.O.E. p.138; Trans. Salop Arch. Soc. Series 4, Vol. 9 (1923-4) pp.228-9.

Listing NGR: SJ3102605618

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Hampton Hall at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5646206

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)