Description

HOPTON WAFERS

SO6376 STOCKHALL LANE
582-1/10/146 The Iron House
24/05/93

II

House, probably originally used as a weighing office for iron
ore. Early C19, extended late C20. Coursed sandstone
south-east and south-west walls; sandstone rubble north-east
wall; red brick window arches and sills. Plain-tile roof with
gabled ends. Brick axial stack.
PLAN: 2-room with lobby entrance in front of axial stack which
heats large left-hand room only; the small right-hand room is
unheated. The front entrance lobby is now blocked and there is
a doorway in the left-hand end wall leading to a straight
staircase at the back of the left room. Large late C20
extension built at rear.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys. Almost symmetrical 2-window south-east
front. Small 2-light casements, first-floor right blocked.
Blocked doorway at centre with brick segmental arch. Similar
windows in gable ends, ground-floor right end original, on
left (south-west) end an old plank door and later gabled
porch. Large C20 concrete extension covering whole of rear
elevation.
INTERIOR: large left room has brick fireplace with slightly
cambered timber lintel and joists exposed in late C20. The
most important feature of the house is the remarkable iron
roof constructed by Thomas Botfield (of the family of
Shropshire ironmasters) who bought the manor of Hopton Wafers
and registered a patent (No.3264) for `Iron Roofs for Houses'
on 26 July 1809. The roof is probably a prototype,
semicircular or barrel shaped with rounded ends, set on the
wall plates and made of iron plates riveted together by 3
different methods, overlapping or with upturned or downturned
flanges as described in the patent. Above this iron vault is a
conventional rafter and tile-clad roof.
(Association for Industrial Archaeology Bulletin: 1990-: 3).

Listing NGR: SO6378276603

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26663445

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

• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)