Rufford Old Hall
Encyclopedia
Rufford Old Hall, a National Trust
property and Grade I listed building, was built in the 15th century for Sir Thomas Hesketh in Rufford
, Lancashire
, England. Only the great hall
survives from the original building but it indicates the wealth and position of the family.
. There are five hammerbeams, each of which terminate, at both ends, in a carved wooden angel. There is also a moveable carved wooden screen, probably dating from 1530–40, which is the only known surviving example from the first half of the 16th century. It was described by Pevsner
as being "of an exuberance of decoration matched nowhere else in England"
In 1661 a Jacobean
style rustic brick wing was built at right angles to the great hall which contrasts with the medieval black and white timbering. This wing was built from small two-inch bricks bricks similar to Bank Hall
, and Carr House
and St Michael's Church in Much Hoole
. The west wing, which housed the family apartments was possibly destroyed in a fire.
The cottage, coach house and stables situated ten metres east of the house are grade II Listed buildings. In the 1820s a third wing was constructed, formed out of the medieval domestic offices, and a castellated tower was built to join the great hall to the Charles II wing.
In 1949 a secret chamber, used as a priest hole
in the 16th century, was discovered above the great hall.
in 1798. In 1846 Sir Thomas George Hesketh, 5th Baronet, of Rufford married Lady Anna Maria Arabella Fermor, sister and heiress
of George Richard William Fermor, 5th and last Earl of Pomfret
.
In 1936 Rufford Old Hall was transferred to the National Trust by Thomas Fermor-Hesketh, 1st Baron Hesketh
together with a collection of arms
and armour
and 17th century oak
furniture
. The sitting room in the hall displays a copy of the 1577 map of Lancashire by Christopher Saxton
.
stealing from neighbouring parks, particularly that of Sir Thomas Lucy
of Charlecote.
There are gardens and pasture to the rear and side of the hall and woodland at the front. The Rufford Branch of the Leeds Liverpool Canal, completed in 1781, passes very close to the site on the east side. A feature of the gardens is a pair of topiary
squirrels. The gardens are best seen in the spring when the rhododendrons are in bloom.
filmed at the hall.
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
property and Grade I listed building, was built in the 15th century for Sir Thomas Hesketh in Rufford
Rufford, Lancashire
-Population :-Economy:The village is largely rural with little or no industry. The farmland is grade one agricultural land. In the early 20th century the village was described as "one of the prettiest in South Lancashire" and was a destination for day trips from neighbouring towns...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England. Only the great hall
Great hall
A great hall is the main room of a royal palace, nobleman's castle or a large manor house in the Middle Ages, and in the country houses of the 16th and early 17th centuries. At that time the word great simply meant big, and had not acquired its modern connotations of excellence...
survives from the original building but it indicates the wealth and position of the family.
Architecture
The timber-framed great hall was built to a late medieval pattern which continued in use in Tudor times and was probably built for Thomas Hesketh in the late 15th century. The hall which formed the south wing is substantially as built, 46 feet 6 inches long and 22 feet 6 inches wide with the timbers sitting on a low stone wall. The hall has a flagged floor. It has a stone chimney, five bays, and a hammerbeam roofHammerbeam roof
Hammerbeam roof, in architecture, is the name given to an open timber roof, typical of English Gothic architecture, using short beams projecting from the wall.- Design :...
. There are five hammerbeams, each of which terminate, at both ends, in a carved wooden angel. There is also a moveable carved wooden screen, probably dating from 1530–40, which is the only known surviving example from the first half of the 16th century. It was described by Pevsner
Pevsner
Pevsner is a surname, and may refer to:* Antoine Pevsner , a Russian sculptor* Sir Nikolaus Pevsner , a German-born British scholar of the history of architecture;** ....
as being "of an exuberance of decoration matched nowhere else in England"
In 1661 a 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 rustic brick wing was built at right angles to the great hall which contrasts with the medieval black and white timbering. This wing was built from small two-inch bricks bricks similar to Bank Hall
Bank Hall
Bank Hall is a Jacobean mansion south of the village of Bretherton in Lancashire, England. It is a Grade II* Listed Building. The hall was built on the site of a previous building in 1608 during the reign of James I by the Banastre family who were Lords of the Manor. It was extended during the 18th...
, and Carr House
Carr House
Carr House, is situated within the Bank Hall Estate, half-way between the villages of Tarleton and Much Hoole at the extreme north-west of the village of Bretherton, Lancashire...
and St Michael's Church in Much Hoole
Much Hoole
Much Hoole is a village and civil parish in the borough of South Ribble, Lancashire, England. The parish of Much Hoole had a population of 1,851 at the time of the 2001 census.-History:...
. The west wing, which housed the family apartments was possibly destroyed in a fire.
The cottage, coach house and stables situated ten metres east of the house are grade II Listed buildings. In the 1820s a third wing was constructed, formed out of the medieval domestic offices, and a castellated tower was built to join the great hall to the Charles II wing.
Priest hole
"Priest hole" is the term given to hiding places for priests built into many of the principal Catholic houses of England during the period when Catholics were persecuted by law in England, from the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in 1558....
in the 16th century, was discovered above the great hall.
History
Until 1936, Rufford Old Hall was in the continuous ownership of the Hesketh family who were lords of the manor of Rufford. The Heskeths moved to Rufford New HallRufford New Hall
Rufford New Hall is a former country house which belonged to the Heskeths who were lords of the manor and replaced Rufford Old Hall as their residence in Rufford, Lancashire, England. It has been designated a Grade II Listed building since 1986.-History:...
in 1798. In 1846 Sir Thomas George Hesketh, 5th Baronet, of Rufford married Lady Anna Maria Arabella Fermor, sister and heiress
Inheritance
Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, rights and obligations upon the death of an individual. It has long played an important role in human societies...
of George Richard William Fermor, 5th and last Earl of Pomfret
Earl of Pomfret
Earl of Pomfret , in the County of York, was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1721 for Thomas Fermor, 2nd Baron Leominster. The Fermor family descended from Richard Fermor who acquired great wealth as a merchant. However, he fell out with Henry VIII after remaining an...
.
In 1936 Rufford Old Hall was transferred to the National Trust by Thomas Fermor-Hesketh, 1st Baron Hesketh
Baron Hesketh
Baron Hesketh, of Hesketh in the County Palatine of Lancaster, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1935 for Sir Thomas Fermor-Hesketh, 8th Baronet, who had previously briefly represented Enfield in the House of Commons as a Conservative. the titles are held by his...
together with a collection of arms
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
and armour
Armour
Armour or armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an object, individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat, or from damage caused by a potentially dangerous environment or action...
and 17th century oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
. The sitting room in the hall displays a copy of the 1577 map of Lancashire by Christopher Saxton
Christopher Saxton
Christopher Saxton was an English cartographer, probably born in the parish of Dewsbury, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England around 1540....
.
Shakespeare
There is some evidence to suggest that Shakespeare may have performed in the great hall. In her 1974 book Lancashire Legends Kathleen Eyre claims that although ".. it may be no more than a fond hope .." there is evidence that a "William Shakeshaft" (another common version of Shakespeare's name) was a youthful member of the Hesketh Company of Players who visited in about 1585. The date coincides with Shakespeare's absence from Stratford-on-Avon following a bout of deerDeer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
stealing from neighbouring parks, particularly that of Sir Thomas Lucy
Thomas Lucy
Sir Thomas Lucy was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1571 and 1585. He was a magistrate in Warwickshire, but is best known for his links to William Shakespeare...
of Charlecote.
Gardens
Topiary
Topiary is the horticultural practice of training live perennial plants, by clipping the foliage and twigs of trees, shrubs and subshrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes, perhaps geometric or fanciful; and the term also refers to plants which have been shaped in this way. It can be...
squirrels. The gardens are best seen in the spring when the rhododendrons are in bloom.
Ghosts
The hall is reputedly haunted by a grey lady, Queen Elizabeth I and a man in Elizabethan clothing. The figure of a man floating above the canal at the rear of the building has also been reported. On 20 February 2010, the crew of the paranormal television series Most HauntedMost Haunted
Most Haunted is a British paranormal documentary reality television series. The series was first shown on 25 May 2002 and ended on 21 July 2010. It was broadcast on Living and presented by Yvette Fielding. The programme was based on investigating purported paranormal activity...
filmed at the hall.