Description

SOWERBY BRIDGE LUDDENDEN LANE
SE 0225-0325
(west side), Luddenden
6/122 Foot
15.11.66
Kershaw House
GV I
House now pub. Early-mid C17, largely rebuilt mid C17 (dated 1650), for the
Murgatroyd family. Thin coursed stone, stone slate roof. 3 parallel ranges
running west-east, the right-hand (north) range the earliest, formerly a
cross-wing to a hall replaced by the 2 other ranges. The left-hand (southern)
range is less deep and in the angle formed at the rear is a 2-storey porch. 2
storeys, 3 x 3 gabled bays. Chamfered plinth, with break between the 2 southern
and the northern ranges; quoins and transomed double-chamfered mullion windows
with king mullions throughout. Main (east) front : gabled 2-storey porch between
left-hand bays. Left bay: 9-light under 6-light window; gutter spout at left
angle. Porch: wave-moulded plinth; round-arched doorway with heavily-moulded
surround, imposts, inner stone benches and stop -chamfered Tudor-arched inner
doorway; cyma-moulded string rising above doorway to enclose date plaque inscribed
'1650/TM AM' (Thomas and Anna Murgatroyd); let floor wheel window with
trefoil-headed lights, sunk spandrels, leaded lights and decorative-stopped
hoodmould; gutter spouts, projecting at right-angles from each return; moulded
coping and finials. Central bay: 12-light under 9-light window. Right bay,
projecting: 6-light window on each floor, blocked C19 doorway on right; gutter
spout on left and at right corner; to left return a cross-window on each floor.
All 3 bays have string continued from porch, lst-floor dripmoulds, that to right
bay with decorative stops, and moulded coping and finials to gables. Corniced
double stack between left-hand bays. Rear: left bay has C20 single-storey
addition, not of interest, and 6-light lst-floor window; central bay a 9-light
under 6-light window, right bay, set back, a 3-light window to left and on lst
floor a 6-light window to right of C19 doorway; continuous moulded string,
1st-floor dripmoulds, gable coping and finials, corniced stack between left-hand
bays. Left return: left bay set back and with gabled porch which has shallow
Tudor-arched doorway with chamfered surround, scallop-patterned lintel, inner
stone benches and similar inner doorway with studded board door; above doorway a
cross-window with dripmould, to left of porch a 3-light window on each floor, lst-
floor window without transom. Central bay: a 6-light window to each floor; gutter
spout to left corner. Right bay: 9-light under 6-light window. Coping and
finials to all gables. Right return : left bay: a blocked cross-window on left of
blocked C19 doorway and window with 6-light window above. Central bay: central
shallow-segmental-arched doorway with moulded surround, scalloped lintel, 3-light
window to left and cross-window to right; on 1st floor a 6-light window having
oculus with moulded cill and dripmould to its right. Right bay: projecting C20
single-storey extension not of interest; to its left are 4-lights of a formerly
wider window; 6-light window above. All 3 bays have lst-floor dripmoulds and
gable coping and finials. Ridge stack between left-hand bays. Interior: central
hall has large, cyma-moulded, basket-arched fireplace, with arch and cornice
above, cyma-stopped chamfered spine-beams, and large-scantling cross-beam above
fireplace. lst floor: roof timbers exposed. Between central and right wings a
2-bay truss (running east-west) with king post and studs. Central wing: front
area has massive tie-beam with seatings of joists; 2 principal rafter trusses
having short king posts on arch-braced collars with longitudinal braces to ridge
piece; in rear room a similar truss, but with the principles supported on brackets
at wall-plate level tenoned into braces from wall posts to principal , another,
collared, truss against rear wall. Left wing: one wall post remains, supporting
central tie-beam with soffit grooved to take former partition and with mortice for
former post. The timbering in the left wing possibly indicates the former
existence of a timber-framed building. In the let half of the C17 the Kershaw
House Estate was owned by James Murgatroyd (who in 1634 built East Riddlesden
Hall, Keighley, which is stylistically very similar to Kershaw House). In his
will of 1653 he bequethed Kershaw House to his youngest son, Thomas, who
re-edified the building and whose initials are over the main doorway.
'Antiquarians at Midgley, Kershaw House, Brearley Hall and Luddenden Church,
Halifax Antiquarians Society, Vol 1, 1902, Saturday 10 May. RCHM(E) report
(31448). L Ambler, The Old Halls and Manor Houses of Yorkshire 1913.

Listing NGR: SE0398425462

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17527241

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

• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)