Description

NZ 23 SW SPENNYMOOR OLD PARK

5/63 Old Park Hall
Farmhouse and
attached
farmbuildings
and wall
GV II

Farmhouse with attached farmbuilding and yard walls. 1901 rebuilding, for the
Ecclesiastical Commissioners, of medieval manor house, incorporating medieval
masonry in north wall. Manor house extensively enlarged c.1747 for Thomas
Wharton, M.D., A.M. (Thomas Grey, the poet, said to have been consulted about
this work which was in the Gothic style). Sandstone rubble with ashlar
dressings; some brick patching; Welsh slate roof on house and part of farm
building; asbestos roof on lower farm building. L-plan house with yard on
north side. North elevation has 2-storey, 3-bay house and 2-bay farm building;
one-storey, 5-bay farmbuilding to left of this. At right end, one-storey
attached outbuilding breaks forward from house; this,with walls c.one metre
high, forms enclosure in front of house.

C20 gabled porch to central of 3 right bays has 2-centred-arched boarded door;
6 steps down to inner door under flat stone lintel. Similar lintels to 4-pane
sashes to right of porch and on first floor, all with projecting sills;
4-light window of coarse sandstone to left of porch has 2-centred-arched heads,
recessed soffits, and vertical iron bars. Quoins to left of these 3 bays.
Blank bay adjacent on left links to elliptical-headed vehicle arch with boarded
doors in block jambs and voussoirs, below 1901 two-centred-arched loft opening
with painted stone surround. 3 ridge chimneys. Outbuilding at right has
boarded door and 4-pane window on return facing yard, under monopitch roof.
Walls have roll-moulded gabled coping in medieval style. One-storey range at
left has boarded doors in first and third bays, the first in eroded moulded
surround, the upper parts renewed in brick; 2-light window to right of this
has mullion removed and elliptical-headed lights with recessed soffits. C20
window at right.

Rear elevation to garden: wing projects from left bays 4-panel door under
overlight and flat stone lintel at right of wing; similar lintels to plain
sashes, most paired, in all bays. Re-used medieval niche under dripmould at
far right. Long farmbuilding, with 2 projections,blank except for one C20
window; 2 rows of blocked triangular vent holes, some with C20 vent pipes
inserted.

Interior of house shows north wall c.one metre thick. Passage from door
through wing has C18 Gothic door of high quality, with L hinges, once part of
half-octagonal addition (shown in old photograph) built by Wharton. 1901
stair in wing.

Historical note: Grey was a frequent visitor, having been a fellow-student
of Wharton's at Cambridge.

Sources: Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne,
3 II, pp.228-231.

R. Hunter Blair, Pencillin s,(m.s.in library of Society of Antiquaries of
Newcastle upon Tyne), Vol.III.

Listing NGR: NZ2323133060

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26597233

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

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  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
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  Period Property Manual (New Ed)