Description

BISHOP AUCKLAND

NZ1826 FRONT STREET, West Auckland 634-1/10/180 (South side) 21/04/52 Nos.56 AND 57 The Old Hall (Formerly Listed as: WEST GREEN, FRONT STREET (S) West Auckland Nos.115 AND 116 The Old Manor House)

GV II*

House and office, originally farmhouse. C16, largely rebuilt early C17, restored C20. MATERIALS: uneven courses of sandstone rubble with quoins and ashlar dressings. Plinth to second build at left of porch which has change in character of masonry from regular courses of ground floor to irregular rubble on first floor, suggesting possible raising of earlier single storey building. Roof pantiles with stone-flagged eaves and ashlar gable coping. Stone chimneys with ashlar plinth and coping. PLAN: double L-plan. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys plus attics. 3:1:3 windows. Stone mullioned windows throughout. Central 3-storey gabled porch has plinth, and boarded door in moulded surround with shallow elliptical head. Floor strings, and 3-light first floor and 2-light second floor windows recessed in hollow chamfered surrounds. Shaped gable with blind slit in ogee gable peak. Single lights on returns of first 2 floors. First build to right has central inserted renewed door under flat stone lintel. All windows have 3 lights recessed in chamfered surrounds, with label dripmoulds. Ridge chimneys at ends and on walls flanking passage behind porch. Returns each have single light near front on ground floor, that on left with small diamond inserts in replica of originals, that on right blocked; first floor left has 2-light window in similar position, and right has 2 single lights, that near front blocked. Rear elevation has central renewed door with draw-bar slot, and 3-light windows in gabled wings. INTERIOR: left part has flat Tudor-arched stone fire surround in left gable on ground floor, and near rear on first floor. Wide moulded fire against right wall to cross passage, and on first floor a moulded fire surround against this wall. Open-well closed-string stair in rear wing has splat balusters and low grip handrail, dogleg upper flight partly restored, and first-floor gallery inserted in same style. Rear wing rooms have stone fire surrounds. Central cross passage has draw bar slot at right of rear door, and niche in passage at left rear passing hearth of room to left. Right part has no fires visible in right gable; wide segmental-arched restored fire opening against passage wall, and blocked fire on first floor. Beams supporting first floor have stopped chamfers except one boxed-in with oak planks taken from attic; some new beams and joists. Central door to rear wing has flat Tudor-arched head with vestigial ogee slit. Rear wing has dogleg stair with fragments of turned balustrade from Holywell. First-floor C17 door resited. Framing studs resited. Roof partly inspected. Right build has truncated principals with 2 levels of purlins open over main bedroom and ceiled at collar. Left build has principal rafter trusses with high collar and 2 levels of trenched purlins, wattle partitions, and evidence of blocked windows in gables. (Vernacular Architecture Group: North East Vernacular Architecture Group: Spring Conference 9-13 April 1991 County Durham: Durham: 37).

Listing NGR: NZ1801426251

External Links

• Wikidata Q17536496

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Recommended Books

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  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
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  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)