Description

HAMSTALL RIDWARE C.P. BLITHBURY ROAD (north-
SK 1019-1119 east side)

12/31 Tower and attached walls
at Hamstall Hall (formerly
listed as Tower at Hamstall
27.2.64 Hall

GV II*

Tower and walls. Late C15 with C16 alterations and additions. Red
brick (English bond in places) with some ashlar dressings; flat lead
covered roof; brick lateral stack. The roughly square tower stands
at the south-east corner of the principal courtyard at Hamstall Hall
(q.v.); there is a massive chimney stack to the western half of the
south face. Walls attached to the south-west and south-east angles
enclose the south-east side of the courtyard and the north-west side
of the adjacent grounds of the Church of S. Michael (q.v.) respectively.
3-storey tower approximately 40 feet high. East elevation. 2 off-
sets; the lower one has a stone coping and stone parapet band. Each
storey has a small C15 window with 4-centred head, ground and first
floor each have a C16 three-light chamfer mullioned window with rebated
frame. C16 two-storey buttress to the right hand (north-east) corner.
At second floor level are some designs in dark brickwork. West elevation.
C16 Tudor arch door to the left with sunken spandrels and stone surround;
directly above at both first and second floor level is a blocked C15
doorway with 4-centred arch. Blocked C16 fireplace to ground floor
right with Tudor arch and sunken spandrels. Above the upper storey
is the steeply arched roof line of a now demolished range that was formerly
attached to the tower. North elevations. Small C15 window at second
floor level and a small C16 window lower down. South elevation.
The left hand half of the elevation is occupied by the chimney stack,
the upper part of this is C16 and has a corbel table of trefoil headed
arches with sunken spandrels. The lower part of the stack probably
served as an annexe to the tower until being converted in the C16 for
it has a blocked window at first floor level of similar type to the
C15 windows on the east face. To the right hand side of the elevation
are three windows, at different levels each with sunken spandrels and
brick dripstones. The lowest served the first floor, the upper two
can only have served as clerestory lighting for the first and second
floors. There is a smaller C15 window at second floor level to the
far right. Interior. Now occupied by a late C16/early C17 staircase
with closed string, turned balusters and newel finials making use of
much reclaimed timber, possibly from a demolished part of Hamstall Hall
(q.v.). The original function of the tower is obscure; it may have
been residential or it may have served as a look-out tower. Circa
1600 it was converted into a staircase tower. By the end of the C18
it has become isolated from the main house by the demolition of its
attached wing. Scheduled as an Ancient Monument. B.o.E. p.140;
Stebbing Shaw, The History and Antiquities of Staffordshire, vol 1 (1798)
p. 157. I.M. Ferris, 'A Survey of Hamstall Hall, Staffordshire' South Staffordshire
Archaeological and Historical Society Transactions vol. XXVI (1984-5) pp. 44-75.

Listing NGR: SK1054219377

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17557837

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

• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)