Description

MORETON CUM ALCUMLOW C.P. (Off) NEW ROAD
SJ 85 NW
7/42 Great Moreton Hall
14.2.67
GV II*

Country house. 1841-43. By Edward Blore for George Ackers. Coursed
sandstone ashlar and snecked sandstone rubble with a slate roof. Two
storeys with three and four-storey towers. Castellated Gothic.
Entrance front: the principal body of the house lies to the right and
the service wing and stable court left. The principal body has 6 bays
near-symmetrically disposed. Projecting plinth with a moulded top.
To the centre at ground floor level is a porte-cochere with diagonal
buttresses to the corners and triple-arched openings to each side with
continuous hood-mould. Frieze of blind tracery below the battlemented
parapet to the centre of which is a projecting canopied niche
containing a seated figure. To either side at ground floor level are
cross-windows with chamfered ashlar surrounds and trefoil heads to the
lights with Tudor hood-moulds. Similar two-light windows to the first
floor without transomes. To the centre is a slightly projecting
first-floor bay with canted bay window which has trefoil-heads to the
lights and a panel of blind tracery below the battlemented parapet
which is common to this whole block. To the right hand corner is an
octagonal staircase turret which rises to a third storey and has
string courses and slit-windows. To the left-hand corner is a square
projecting bay with similar ground and first-floor window as seen on
the rest of the facade. To the left hand corner is a slightly
projecting square staircase turret which has machicolation below the
projecting third storey and gargoyles at the level of the flat
parapet. To the left of this block and recessed is a large square
tower which rises above the staircase hall. This is of snecked
sandstone and has an octagonal turret to its right hand corner rising
to a fifth floor. Two-light window to the third floor with relieving
arch above it and two lancet lights to the fourth floor. Battlemented
parapet above. To the left of this is the service wing which is flush
with the principal range and also of two storeys although of lesser
height. This has 3 bays to the far left divided by buttresses and
with slit windows and to right of these is a three-storey gate-tower
which has a chamfered archway to the ground floor, a central canopied
niche to the first floor with lancet windows to either side and two
further lancets to the second floor. To right of this and connecting
with the principal range is a range of 8 bays consisting of 5 cross
windows to the ground floor with two single-light and one 3-light
windows, all having chamfered surrounds and Tudor hood moulds. To the
first floor are seven 2-light windows and one single-light window.
Battlemented parapet above.
To left of this range is the projecting stable-yard range with walling
of snecked sandstone rubble. The right hand side wall of this has
slit windows to the ground floor and three 2-light C20 windows to the
first floor. To the angle is a canted corner with a camber-arched
doorway with 4 outer arches modelled as if to accommodate portcullis
channels. Further slit windows to left of this. The main front of
this range has an entrance tower at left of centre with a chamfered
pointed archway and machicolation below the first floor. To right of
this are 5 bays, the 4th from right having a hexagonal staircase
turret. Lancet windows with ashlar surrounds to both floors, the bays
being divided by buttresses with offsets. Two similar bays to left of
the entrance tower. To the left is a turret with a jettied
battlemented parapet. The right hand side of the house, a projecting
bay at right with a projecting plinth, incorporates a basement lancet
window. Diagonal buttresses to the corners; and to the first floor is
a jettied oriel window resting on a moulded support and having 2
central lights and single lights to the angles. To left of this is a
portion of recessed wall which has a canted bay window to its right
with two central lights and single lights to the angles, with a
battlemented parapet above. To left is a 3-light window with trefoil
heads to the lights and a Tudor hood-mould. To the first floor are
four 2-light windows with trefoil heads and hood moulds. Battlemented
parapet above. To far left is an octagonal turret which has lancet
lights.
The rear has the principal range at left which has to its right the
hall which is of 2-storey height. This has a square oriel window at
right with diagonal buttresses to the corners and a tripartite window
with pointed arches to the centre and single pointed lights to the
sides, the central window having curvilinear tracery. To left of this
are three 2-light windows with pointed arches and at left again is a
canted bay window before which is a staircase of 2 flights of later
date. The bay window has a 2-light pointed window to the centre and
single-light lancets to the angles. Battlemented parapet above. To
left of this is a range of two-storey height to the left of which is a
rectangular bay window which dies at first floor level via broaches to
become a canted bay window. This has a central 3-light window with
single-light windows to either side and similar single-lights to the
returns. Similar arrangement at first floor level. To right of this
is a 3-light ground floor window with a similar window without a
transom to the first floor. Battlemented parapet above. The tower at
right and recessed behind the hall range has a 2-light window to the
third floor with a relieving arch over and two lancet lights to the
fourth floor. At right of this range and slightly recessed is the
service wing which is here of 5 bays with three 3-light windows, one
2-light and one single-light window. To the first floor are two
3-light windows, one 2-light and three single-light windows, all with
Tudor hood-moulds. Projecting chimney breast at right with offsets.
Battlemented parapet above. To right again are five bays of less
height with lancet windows at right of this; and slightly projecting
is the wall of the drying ground which has decorative blind lancets
and buttresses.
Interior: The porte cochere has a tierceron vaulted roof with
decorative bosses including the dates 1841 and 1843 to either side of
the central boss. A wide flight of stairs rises to the outer lobby
which is divided from the porte cochere by a tripartite screen which
is now glazed. Panelled double doors lead to the entrance hall which
has arcaded panelling to the dado. Ashlar chimney piece with floral
decoration to the frieze and a brattished parapet with a central
pedestal. Panelled ceiling with moulded plaster ribs and bosses.
This entrance hall leads through to the Central Hall which has a
panelled wooden ceiling with a central rectangular lantern which also
has a panelled ceiling with bosses. Arcaded panelling below the dado
line of similar form to that in the entrance hall and an elaborate
painted ashlar fire surround with a cambered archway to the centre to
either side of which are corbels. Foliate ornament to the frieze and
a hipped top with a central coat of arms in a moulded surround. Two
tripartite screens separate this hall from the staircase hall. The
staircase is of imperial form and the panelled lower newel posts have
crocketed pinnacles and connect to the piers of one screen by means of
short flying buttresses. The staircase diminishes in width as it
rises and has stained-glass windows with curvilinear tracery to the
half landing and upper landing. The ceiling is vaulted and has
plaster ribs and bosses. The axis formed by the porte cochere, lobby
and entrance hall continues on the other side of the Central Hall in
the form of a screens passage to the Great Hall which has wooden
panelling and terminates in the canted bay window. Double wooden
panelled doors at either side lead to the saloon and the Great Hall.
The Great Hall has wooden panelling to the lower wall of oak with
trefoil and quatrefoil-headed panels. Fire surround of ashlar with
massive corbels to either side which support niches with diapered
patterns to their backs and these niches have trefoil heads which are
supported by corbels which take the form of knights. Decorative band
of quatrefoil panels containing shields below the level of the mantel
which has a brattished edge. The roof is of hammerbeam form with
arched windbracing and 2 purlins and a moulded ridge beam. The oriel
window and the serving bay both have vaulted ceilings of plaster.
Above the screens passage is a gallery with arcaded wooden balustrade
to the rear of which is a raised platform; in this respect and in
several other details the hall is similar to that built by
W A Nicholson and Charles Tennyson d'Eynecourt at Bayons Manor
Lincolnshire in 1836-44. The saloon has two alabaster fire surrounds
with ogee arches. Corbels to either side of knights forming brackets.
Ball-flower ornament to the mantel frieze and rinceau scrollwork
above. The ceiling is dissected into square panels which are
subdivided into triangular panels with coats of arms to their centres.
Elaborate frieze below. The former drawing room and library also have
panelled plaster ceilings.

Source: Nikolaus Pevsner - The Buildings of England : Cheshire
& Edward Hubbard 1971.

Listing NGR: SJ8394759493

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Great Moreton Hall at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5599591

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

• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)