Description

SJ 98 SW ADLINGTON C.P. MILL LANE
(South Side)

3/15 Adlington Hall.

25/7/1952

GV I

Large manor house: great hall finished 1505 for Thomas Legh I, east
range and porch added 1581 for Thomas Legh III, major renovations of
north range between 1665-70 for Thomas Legh IV, south range of 1757
and west range of 1740 and 1761 for Charles Legh, both partly
demolished and altered 1928. Developed from a moated manor house, to
an L-shaped plan and finally to a courtyard layout. Partly
timber framed and partly brick of 2 periods, all with a Kerridge
stone-slate roof.
North front: irregular bond brick with stone quoins encases early
manor house. Irregular front of 2 and 3 storeys and 6 gables.
Mixture of 12 and 16-pane sashes under flat, wedged brick heads and 2
venetian windows of mid C18. Fine 6-board oak, studded door to
screens passage with scrolled iron hinges. Some decorated lead
guttering and a good rainhead.
East front: timber framed on rubble stone plinth. Close studding
with middle rail and herring boning. Ovolo-moulded mullioned and
mullioned and transomed windows, small oriel and inserted 12 and
16-pane sashes. Coving and moulded band at 1st floor and under gable
of 2-storey staircase turret.
South front: Flemish bond red brick with sandstone dressings. 2 and
3-storey symmetrical 13-bay front. Low stone plinth, rusticated
quoins and modillion cornice. Giant unfluted Ionic tetrastyle portico
with plain pillars on octagonal pedestals. Inscription "CHARLES &
HESTER LEGH 1757" in frieze and Legh arms in pediment. Semi-circular
headed openings on ground storey, eared architraves above, the mid
window with a segmental pediment. Either side of portico are 12-pane
sashes under flat rusticated heads.
West front: mainly demolished apart from left and right ends, but a
screen wall rebuilt using elements seen on south front. A venetian
window has a dated keystone of 1761.
Courtyard: north side has late C17 very large rebated chamfered stone
mullioned and transomed windows to hall and former solar. Projecting
2-storey timber framed porch to screen's passage has long inscription
of 1581.
Interior: North range: screens passage shows massive panelled
octagonal posts of original spere truss and some ogee-headed
panelling. In hall within spere truss in a very fine organ by Bernard
Smith and organ gallery of c1670. Great hall has hammer-beam roof,
excellent coving over dias end, clumsy wall paintings of Troy's
history and a mid C18 white marble fireplace with attributes of
Apollo. This range has a good staircase of c1670 with twisted
balusters and carved fir cones on the newels and an oak staircase of
1740. Much good domestic Carolean work upstairs.
East range: service rooms of little note.
South range: no major rooms but pretty stucco ceilings on upper floor
one with Gothick motifs.
West range: At northern end of 1740 are a relatively simple dining
room below and a more ornate drawing room above. The latter is oak
panelled (by Henry Sephton) with Corinthian pilasters and egg and dart
moulded panels, the mouldings being continued in the ceiling. Some
resited pearwood carving in Gibbons style and good white marble
fireplace.
For fuller details see: C Legh Adlington Hall, English Life
Publications 1980, Pevsner and Hubbard; and Country Life.

Listing NGR: SJ9046280471

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Adlington Hall at Wikipedia
• Adlington Hall official website
• Wikidata Q4683319

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

• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)