Great Moreton Hall
Encyclopedia
Great Moreton Hall is a former country house in Moreton cum Alcumlow
near Congleton
, in Cheshire
, England, less than a mile (1.6 km) from its better-known near namesake Little Moreton Hall
. It was built in 1841 by Manchester
businessman George Holland Ackers, to replace a large timber-framed
building that had been the home of the Bellot family since 1602. The house is designed in the style of a Palladian
villa, except that the Great Hall is one of a number of rooms off a large central space, rather than being at the centre of the building. Great Moreton Hall is built in two storeys, interspersed with three and four-storey towers. The service wing to the left of and adjoining the main part of the building is slightly lower than the rest of the structure.
The main entrance is via a broad flight of steps from a porte-cochère
, leading to the entrance lobby and a large central hall. A triple arcade at one end of the hall leads to the main staircase, opposite a hooded fireplace decorated with the arms of the Ackers family. The Library, Drawing Room, Billiard Room, Saloon, and the Great Hall are arranged symmetrically around the central hall. "Dark narrow internal corridors" allowed the servants, whose quarters were in the cellars, to reach all the rooms without having to pass through the central hall.
Great Moreton Hall was designated a Grade II* listed building on 14 February 1967. Since 1931 the house has served first as a school and then as a hotel and conference centre.
Moreton cum Alcumlow
Moreton cum Alcumlow is a small civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In the census of 2001 it was recorded as having a population of 150...
near Congleton
Congleton
Congleton is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Dane, to the west of the Macclesfield Canal and 21 miles south of Manchester. It has a population of 25,750.-History:The first settlements in...
, in 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, less than a mile (1.6 km) from its better-known near namesake Little Moreton Hall
Little Moreton Hall
Little Moreton Hall is a moated 15th and 16th-century half-timbered manor house southwest of Congleton, Cheshire. It is one of the finest examples of timber-framed domestic architecture in England. The house is today owned by the National Trust. It has been designated by English Heritage as a...
. It was built in 1841 by Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
businessman George Holland Ackers, to replace a large timber-framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
building that had been the home of the Bellot family since 1602. The house is designed in the style of a Palladian
Palladian architecture
Palladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio . The term "Palladian" normally refers to buildings in a style inspired by Palladio's own work; that which is recognised as Palladian architecture today is an evolution of...
villa, except that the Great Hall is one of a number of rooms off a large central space, rather than being at the centre of the building. Great Moreton Hall is built in two storeys, interspersed with three and four-storey towers. The service wing to the left of and adjoining the main part of the building is slightly lower than the rest of the structure.
The main entrance is via a broad flight of steps from a porte-cochère
Porte-cochere
A porte-cochère is the architectural term for a porch- or portico-like structure at a main or secondary entrance to a building through which a horse and carriage can pass in order for the occupants to alight under cover, protected from the weather.The porte-cochère was a feature of many late 18th...
, leading to the entrance lobby and a large central hall. A triple arcade at one end of the hall leads to the main staircase, opposite a hooded fireplace decorated with the arms of the Ackers family. The Library, Drawing Room, Billiard Room, Saloon, and the Great Hall are arranged symmetrically around the central hall. "Dark narrow internal corridors" allowed the servants, whose quarters were in the cellars, to reach all the rooms without having to pass through the central hall.
Great Moreton Hall was designated a Grade II* listed building on 14 February 1967. Since 1931 the house has served first as a school and then as a hotel and conference centre.