Description

LEEDS

SE33NW STONEGATE ROAD, Moor Allerton 714-1/7/993 (South side (off)) 22/01/91 Moorfield House and attached outbuildings and walls

II

Country house, now retirement home, with stables, outbuildings and wall. Early C19, possibly later C19 additions and alterations c1960. Sandstone ashlar: chisel-tooled walling, plain lintels, bands and porch; grey slate hipped main roof, lead porch roof; large ashlar stacks forward of ridge flanking central bay on main front, right return and rear left, 6-flue rendered stack rear right. 2 storeys, 3-bay entrance facade faces north-west with a slightly projecting 1 x 2-bay wing at northern (left) end; 5-bay garden front faces south-west. Entrance front: central single-storey porch against the slightly-projecting pedimented central bay has double doors, corner pilasters with sunk panels and carved laurel wreaths, entablature, cornice. Flanking and first-floor centre windows are almost full height with margin lights and flat-faced stone mullions under segmental and rectangular recesses; a similar window to the added projecting bay, left. Remaining upper-floor windows are tall and narrow, ground-floor windows boarded and upper-floor windows have C20 frames. Projecting sill band, plain cornice flanking central pediment, blocking course. Right return, garden front: a fine full-height semicircular 3-window bay; a sunk panel above all windows. Rear: a slightly-projecting central bay, 3-light and sash-type windows. INTERIOR: retains columned screen in entrance hall, and contemporary plasterwork. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: stables and outbuildings: 2 storeys; a rectangular block with lower projecting ranges on north-east side; linked to the house by a narrow range of outbuildings; much original fenestration including a 3-light window on the south-west side, hipped roof with cupola; c1960 ground-floor alterations and additions in stable yard, including cement render. Wall: ashlar, approx 2m high, attached to the west corner of the stable block; a fine curved and ramped screen wall to stable yard with plain side gateway and gate pier. HISTORICAL NOTE: a small country house built before 1822 on a prominent site on the outskirts of the city, probably by a mill owner; by 1842 John Purchon lived there. Purchon was an

'army and police clothier and woollen merchant' (Directory 1842) who was born in Rothwell in 1782. He set up as a book-keeper at No.28 Kirkgate (qv) and became a cloth merchant by 1834. It is probable that he established his business by supplying the Leeds Police Force which began operations in 1836 and from which the Fire Brigade was formed in 1842; Purchon's Yard, Kirkgate, was named from his workshops there. Moorfield was occupied by Isabella Purchon, John's daughter, in 1857, the Revd William Richmond in 1861 and William Cooke, a manufacturer of paper hangings, in 1881; Mrs Mellor was the occupier in 1905. Probably mid C19 alterations to the house include the front entrance porch and wing to left, the 6-flue ?kitchen stack at the rear and extensions to the coach-house. Altered c1960 for conversion to retirement home. (Directories of Leeds, 1822-1905; Baine's Map of Leeds: 1822-).



Listing NGR: SE3031538784

External Links

• Wikidata Q26547518

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