Chorlton Hall, Backford
Encyclopedia
Chorlton Hall is a country house in the parish of Chorlton-by-Backford
and stands to the east of the village of Backford
, Cheshire
, England. The house was built probably in the middle of the 18th century. The original owners were the Stanley family of Hooton
. In 1811 it was bought by the historian, George Ormerod
, who wrote his History of Cheshire while living in the house. Ormerod sold the house in 1823 to the Wicksted family of Nantwich
. It was extended in 1845–46 by the architect Sir James Picton
for James Wickstead Swan. The plan of the house is U-shaped. It is rendered
with slate
roofs and rendered chimney stacks. The house stands on a stone plinth
and is in 2½ storeys. Its front is in three bays
; the central bay has three windows, the lateral bays project forward, are gable
d, and each has one window. Internally, the dining room is plastered in Jacobean
style, and the drawing room in Gothic
style. The house has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II listed building.
Chorlton-by-Backford
Chorlton by Backford is a civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire West and Chester and ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. It has a population of 80....
and stands to the east of the village of Backford
Backford
Backford is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated between Chester and Ellesmere Port on the A41 trunk road, to the north of the Shropshire Union Canal....
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England. The house was built probably in the middle of the 18th century. The original owners were the Stanley family of Hooton
Hooton, Cheshire
Hooton is a village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England in the south of the Wirral Peninsula near Ellesmere Port.- History :...
. In 1811 it was bought by the historian, George Ormerod
George Ormerod
George Ormerod was an English antiquary and historian. Amongst his writings was a major account of the history of Cheshire, a county in northwestern England.-Biography:...
, who wrote his History of Cheshire while living in the house. Ormerod sold the house in 1823 to the Wicksted family of Nantwich
Nantwich
Nantwich is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The town gives its name to the parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich...
. It was extended in 1845–46 by the architect Sir James Picton
James Picton
Sir James Allanson Picton was an English antiquary and architect who played a large part in the public life of Liverpool. He took a particular interest in the establishment of public libraries.-Biography:...
for James Wickstead Swan. The plan of the house is U-shaped. It is rendered
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
with slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roofs and rendered chimney stacks. The house stands on a stone plinth
Plinth
In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of architectural theory. The plinth usually rests...
and is in 2½ storeys. Its front is in three bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
; the central bay has three windows, the lateral bays project forward, are gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d, and each has one window. Internally, the dining room is plastered in Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
style, and the drawing room in Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style. The house has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II listed building.