Hallfield House
Encyclopedia
Hallfield House is a Grade II listed building situated in Bradfield Dale, 1.7 miles (2.74 km) west of the village of Low Bradfield
, near Sheffield
in England.
belonging to the Greaves family, who were an eminent dynasty throughout South Yorkshire. The Greaves probably became owners of Hallfield in 1439 when John Greves junior took possession and they held the property for several generations. At that time the house had 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of land of which 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) were meadow and 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) were pasture, there were also common rights on the surrounding moorland.
By the mid part of the 17th century the house had been greatly altered and was much the same as we see it today. It is thought that these alterations were carried out by Nicholas Greaves or his son John and the resulting gabled building was similar in style to Onesacre Hall
, 4.5 miles (7 km) to the east, which was constructed around the same time. During the alterations, barn
s were erected 66 feet (20.1 m) to the north-east of the main house and were constructed using timber purlin
s, the barns underwent substantial changes in the 20th century but are still classified as a Grade II listed buildings. In 1672 the Greaves were taxed on six hearths at Hallfield. George Woodhead of Wigtwizzle became the tenant of Hallfield House in 1698 and his descendents occupied the house for much of the 18th century. The building received its listed status on 21 October 1974 and this was followed by rebuilding work to the wing in 1977.
with a stone slate roof. The building has four bays and consists of three storeys with an attic. Most of the windows in the main house are mullion
ed. One of the highlights of the interior is a 17th century plaster overdoor
in one of the downstairs rooms which is decorated with lilies and rose
s, the room also has a frieze
adorned with fish, fruit and mermaids playing harps under an ornamental cornice
.
Low Bradfield
Low Bradfield is a village within the in South Yorkshire, England. It is situated within the boundary of the city of Sheffield in the upper part of the Loxley Valley, 6¼ miles west-northwest of the city centre and just inside the northeast boundary of the Peak District National Park...
, near Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
in England.
History
A dwelling on the Hallfield site was first mentioned in documents as early as 1318 when it was recorded that a piece of land called Hallfelde in Thornsett was conveyed between Adam de Romesker and Adam Hawksworth. For many years the house was just a small farmhouseFarmhouse
Farmhouse is a general term for the main house of a farm. It is a type of building or house which serves a residential purpose in a rural or agricultural setting. Most often, the surrounding environment will be a farm. Many farm houses are shaped like a T...
belonging to the Greaves family, who were an eminent dynasty throughout South Yorkshire. The Greaves probably became owners of Hallfield in 1439 when John Greves junior took possession and they held the property for several generations. At that time the house had 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of land of which 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) were meadow and 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) were pasture, there were also common rights on the surrounding moorland.
By the mid part of the 17th century the house had been greatly altered and was much the same as we see it today. It is thought that these alterations were carried out by Nicholas Greaves or his son John and the resulting gabled building was similar in style to Onesacre Hall
Onesacre Hall
Onesacre Hall is a Grade II* Listed building situated in the rural outskirts of the City of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. The hall is located on Green Lane in the small hamlet of Onesacre in the suburb of Oughtibridge, 8.5 km north west of the city centre.-History:The present Onesacre Hall...
, 4.5 miles (7 km) to the east, which was constructed around the same time. During the alterations, barn
Barn
A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment...
s were erected 66 feet (20.1 m) to the north-east of the main house and were constructed using timber purlin
Purlin
In architecture or structural engineering or building, a purlin is a horizontal structural member in a roof. Purlins support the loads from the roof deck or sheathing and are supported by the principal rafters and/or the building walls, steel beams etc...
s, the barns underwent substantial changes in the 20th century but are still classified as a Grade II listed buildings. In 1672 the Greaves were taxed on six hearths at Hallfield. George Woodhead of Wigtwizzle became the tenant of Hallfield House in 1698 and his descendents occupied the house for much of the 18th century. The building received its listed status on 21 October 1974 and this was followed by rebuilding work to the wing in 1977.
The building
Hallfield House is constructed from deeply coursed, squared gritstoneGritstone
Gritstone or Grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone. This term is especially applied to such sandstones that are quarried for building material. British gritstone was used for millstones to mill flour, to grind wood into pulp for paper and for grindstones to sharpen blades. "Grit" is...
with a stone slate roof. The building has four bays and consists of three storeys with an attic. Most of the windows in the main house are mullion
Mullion
A mullion is a vertical structural element which divides adjacent window units. The primary purpose of the mullion is as a structural support to an arch or lintel above the window opening. Its secondary purpose may be as a rigid support to the glazing of the window...
ed. One of the highlights of the interior is a 17th century plaster overdoor
Overdoor
An "overdoor" is a painting, bas-relief or decorative panel, generally in a horizontal format, that is set, typically within ornamental mouldings, over a door, or was originally intended for this purpose.The overdoor is usually architectural in form, but may take the form of a cartouche in Rococo...
in one of the downstairs rooms which is decorated with lilies and rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
s, the room also has a frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
adorned with fish, fruit and mermaids playing harps under an ornamental cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
.