Monument record 15714 - Bradwall Manor

<1> Historic England, 2015-, Notification Report of Decision not to Designate, Organ C, 25/11/2022 (Written Communication). SCH7825.

The barn at Bradwall Manor is an L-shaped multi-purpose building built of hand-made bricks with a tiled roof and hand-hewn timbers in the roof structure. Vernacular buildings constructed using local materials can be difficult to date, but it is likely to have originated in the early nineteenth century as part of the Agricultural Revolution of English farming, driven by investment in new types of stock and crops, buildings, and land management. Listed barns in the area tend to be earlier in date and often incorporate timber-framing, examples being the barn at Wirswall Hall, Wirswall (Grade II, National Heritage List for England: 1066619 (see 2)), which has a sixteenth century or seventeenth century date and is timber-framed with corrugated iron roof over thatch, and the barn about five yards east of Boults Green Farmhouse, Betchton (Grade II, NHLE:1138759 (see 2)), a seventeenth century timber-framed barn. The Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (RCHME) volume on English Farmsteads 1750-1914 (1997) (see 3), which took Central Cheshire as one of its main study areas, states that the rare survivals are those dating from before the end of the eighteenth century, and where there is contemporary information they were said to be generally thatched and timber-framed.

The barn certainly demonstrates regional characteristics in its design and appearance, being brick-built and compartmentalised for a number of uses; a typical plan form for Cheshire where dairying was the predominant type of farming, rather than a large threshing barn as found in more purely arable parts of the country. As such it makes a positive contribution to the distinctive character of the countryside in which it stands. However, it has undergone significant alterations since it was built due to changes of use, most recently the extensive provision of stabling, which impact negatively upon the original fabric. Externally apertures have been inserted into all original elevations. They are most noticeable to the inner elevations facing into the yard, resulting in brick patching and the insertion and replacement of apertures with other door and window arrangements (now with later-twentieth century split-stable doors to both arms), and windows with concrete lintels in the south arm, which also has significant brick patching to the inner corner and inserted pitching eye and window at first-floor level.

Internally, original purlins and three pegged collar trusses remain, but the roof structure in the north-east corner (where the two arms meet) has been altered with the original purlins from the south arm sawn off short of the south purlin in the west arm and machine-sawn timbers added. The original layout and uses of the barn are not clear due to the level of alterations and loss of fixtures and fittings. The exception is the tack room in the west arm, which retains an early-nineteenth century corner fireplace; the only fixture of note other than the partial Jacob’s ladder in the west room. The floors throughout have been concreted. The south arm has lost the first floor and modern stable dividers have been inserted, continuing into the north-east corner where the inserted first floor has also been removed, leaving the machine-sawn cross beams and later upper-floor windows and pitching doors. Though the corner is now a single enclosed room, this may not have been its original arrangement as straight joints indicate that the brick east wall of the covered passage (drift house) is inserted. The three compartments of the west arm do remain floored, though the first floor is of modern timber on replacement joists. The probable dairy built at the west end of the barn has no discernible fixtures or fittings of note, whilst the pigsties with round-arched openings at the south end of the building have been converted.

Overall, it is considered that while the barn has a degree of architectural and historic interest, alterations have impacted negatively upon the original building's architectural integrity, meaning that whilst it remains of local interest, it does not meet the criteria for statutory listing in the national context.

The house appears to belong to two main phases, though it is difficult to ascertain how much of the earlier building was rebuilt or remodelled when the house was extended between 1840 and the early 1870s. It is likely that the east and north wings originated at a similar time to the barn as a vernacular L-shaped farmhouse, with later alterations, including the reroofing of the east wing. The later, large front range appears square in plan and overlies the inner corner of the original building, but there is no clear evidence of retention of earlier features in that area. The south-west garden elevation of the east wing has been stuccoed and scribed in the same manner as the mid-nineteenth century front range and the form of the windows echo the porch doorway and first-floor windows in its main elevation, also suggesting that a degree of remodelling or rebuilding has taken place.

The present house is polite, rather than vernacular in character, with a symmetrical, stuccoed front elevation and decorative bargeboards. It does not appear with this footprint on the 1840 tithe map and though competently designed, it is standard for its date, and possibly even a little old-fashioned. The stucco finish and Gothic central gable with decorative bargeboards harks back to the early-nineteenth century picturesque style, rather than the move to more “honest” facing materials that increasingly found favour from the mid-nineteenth century onwards.

Internally the plan form of the ground floor has been compromised by the extensive opening up of a group of rooms, and other rooms have been refurbished. There is also no evidence of an inglenook with oak bressummer, both features found in the nearby listed Hall Cottage and attached Coach House of former Bradwall Hall of probable seventeenth century date (Grade II, NHLE: 1279173 (see 2)) and Plumtree Farmhouse, Bradwall Green probably of around 1700 (Grade II, NHLE:1330000 (see 2)). Many original fixtures and fittings have been lost, such as first-floor fireplaces and mantelpieces, though some moulded cornices, six- and four-panelled doors and moulded architraves remain, as do attic fireplaces and two marble fireplaces in main reception rooms. The style of the latter indicates either that they are additions, or that the front range is closer to the 1870s than the 1840s. Features which do survive are standard for the date. The main staircase appears to have been altered, possibly even turned around as it faces away from the main entrance, and has twentieth century timber balusters and handrail. The secondary staircase is modern. The ground-floor room in the east wing has a canted buffet recess, suggestive of the early nineteenth century, but the moulding and panelled soffit to the basket arch matches that used for the possibly remodelled round-headed windows in the room. There are no identifiable specialist functions within the house, such as a dairy, cheese room, apple loft or brew house. Nor are there any known historical associations with well-known historical figures of national importance.

It is considered that the house does not meet the criteria to recommend listing, primarily because of the extent of alteration, though it is of local interest as a functional group with the barn.

CONCLUSION
After examining all the records and other relevant information, and having carefully considered the architectural and historic interest of this case, the criteria for listing are not fulfilled and therefore it is not recommended to list Bradwall Manor and its associated barn.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION
Bradwall Manor and barn, of early nineteenth century and mid-nineteenth century date with twentieth century alterations, are not recommended for listing for the following principal reasons:

Degree of architectural interest:
* though the barn demonstrates regional characteristics in its materials, construction and layout, significant alterations have negatively impacted upon the original fabric both in terms of its external appearance and internal layout, and understanding of the original uses of the building;
* the original vernacular farmhouse was substantially enlarged and altered or rebuilt between 1840 and the early 1870s and given a polite, stuccoed appearance with decorative bargeboards, which is standard and rather old-fashioned for its date;
* the layout of the house has been compromised by the extensive opening up of ground-floor rooms and many original fixtures and fittings have been lost. Degree of Historic interest:
* the buildings are not known to have any associations with well-known historical figures of national importance.

The small village of Bradwall is located in rural Cheshire in an area long dominated by dairy farming. The first known documented record of Bradwall Manor is the 1834 electoral roll which lists the property, then called Well House farm, as a freehold house and land owned by a William Dean: he was also listed as occupying a house and land called Fields Farm (a short distance to the south-east) at a rent of fifty pounds. By 1837 the property was called Well Bank farm. The tithe map (see 4) of around 1840 records the property as a house, garden and broom croft etc owned and occupied by William Dean and shows the L-shaped barn, with a small outshot on the inner side of the west arm, and the house with an L-shaped footprint. Dean owned land and other properties in Bradwall, Hartford, Kelsall, Weaverham and Wallasey, where he also owned and occupied a house, with a second house occupied by his son. William Dean who was born around 1769 in Sandbach was recorded as a 72 year old farmer on the 1841 census, and on the 1851 census as annuitant living with his nephew, James Parrott, and family at Field House farm. At this time Well Bank farm was occupied by William Polphreymana (Palfreyman), a farmer of 33 acres, and his wife, four daughters and son. By 1871 he farmed 48 acres and employed one labourer and he was still resident in 1881.

The barn is brick-built with a tiled roof and hand-hewn roof timbers. This suggests an early-nineteenth century date as eighteenth century Cheshire farm buildings were generally timber-framed and thatched. The brick-built house is likely to originate at a similar time.

The property was extended and altered between 1840 and the early 1870s. The 1:2500 Ordnance Survey map (see 5) surveyed around 1873-74, published in 1875, labels the property Wellbank. It shows the L-shaped barn with the small outshot removed and a building added at the west end of the west arm, with a small sub-divided extension added to the south end of the south arm. The house has markedly increased its footprint. A new front range with a small central porch faces north-west, away from the barn and inner yard, and a new drive has been constructed curving across the field to the west to join the road. Short east and north wings mark the earlier L-shaped footprint. By 1897 (see 6) a small single-storey extension had been added on the north side of the east wing and in the early twentieth century a rectangular extension was built in the angle between the front and north ranges, with a triangular extension at the north end of the north range.

In common with barns in Cheshire, the barn was a multi-purpose building likely to have contained a combination of a barn, shippons for dairy cattle, hay storage, fodder preparation area, stable, cart shed. The single storey building at the west end of the barn and close to the house is likely to have been a dairy. There have been subsequent alterations to the building with changes to door and window apertures, alterations to internal spaces and the insertion of machine-sawn timbers. In the second half of the twentieth century both arms were converted to stabling, with the probable pigsties at the south end of the south arm being converted to a WC and washroom. By 1966 a large lean-to shed had also been added against the outer, east side of the south arm.

The property was renamed Bradwall Manor by 1954. In the late twentieth century a number of the ground-floor rooms in the house were opened-up to give a more open plan. The small extension on the north side of the east wing and the rectangular extension have also been removed. The triangular extension has been removed or partially rebuilt with a new angled porch and covered passageway between the house and former dairy added.

Details
House and barn. Early nineteenth century and mid- nineteenth century with twentieth century alterations.

MATERIALS: the house is built of brick, partly stuccoed and scribed, with a slate roof. The barn is built of brick with a tiled roof.

PLAN: the house is square with short east and north wings. The barn is L-shaped with a covered passage (drift house) into the yard at the junction of the longer west arm and shorter south arm.

HOUSE
EXTERIOR: the house is of two storeys with a partial attic and partial cellar (not seen). A number of the multi-pane, unhorned sashes are double-glazed reproductions.

The stuccoed and scribed, three-bay front elevation has a plinth and is symmetrical with a central gable and projecting gabled porch. Both the porch and gable have decorative timber bargeboards and turned finials. The round-headed porch doorway has moulded imposts and arch head, with part-glazed timber double doors. The porch sides have windows with margin lights, sills and moulded, shouldered architraves rising from the plinth. The large ground-floor windows in the two outer bays have similar shouldered architraves with eight-over-eight pane sashes. The central first-floor window has a moulded architrave on consoles and the outer windows have slightly projecting sills and shaped lintels. All have eight-over-eight pane sashes. The gable has a round-headed attic window with a moulded architrave on consoles, timber casement window and over-light. To the right of the central gable is a brick ridge stack; a stack to the left-hand gable stack has been removed.

The south-west garden elevation also has a plinth and the wall is stuccoed and scribed. The three left-hand bays have two wide gables with decorative timber bargeboards and turned finials. The right-hand gable has a brick stack. To the right is the slightly recessed, lower east wing of two bays. The three left bays have a central doorway with glazed, timber double doors, a wide tripartite window to the left and a similar window aperture to the right, now with glazed double doors and side lights. All have shouldered architraves rising from the plinth. The first floor has three eight-over-eight pane sashes with slightly projecting sills and shaped lintels. The left-hand gable apex has a small casement attic window. The two ground-floor bays of the east wing each have a round-headed window with moulded imposts and arch head. The two first-floor windows are similar to the windows in the three left bays.

The gable wall of the east wing is brick in English garden wall bond (3:1) with a moulded bargeboard and turned finial. To the left-hand side on the ground floor is a canted brick bay with a glazed and leaded roof. On the first floor are two multi-pane sash windows, the right-hand window narrower, both with stone sills and brick lintels.

The left-hand return gable of the front elevation is of painted brick in English garden wall bond with a moulded timber bargeboard. It has irregular fenestration to the left-hand side with two ground-floor windows, one first-floor window and a small attic window above. On the left-hand side the wall slightly oversails the painted brick wall forming the north-west side of the lower north wing. The north wing has a narrow ground-floor window to the left and a larger first-floor eight-over-eight pane sash window with slightly projecting sill and shaped lintel.

The rear of the house, which overlooks the yard, is formed by the north-east elevation of the east wing and south-east elevation of the north wing. Both elevations are of unpainted brick. The east wing is of English garden wall bond (3:1) with patching. To the left is the outline of a removed single-storey extension with a double-pitched roof. To its right is a mid-point stair window with a projecting sill, gauged brick lintel and eight-over-eight pane sash. On the right-hand side is a doorway with a timber lintel and an altered first-floor window with a wider projecting sill and a brick lintel. The roof above the window is partially inset. The higher roofline of the main house to the right has a gabled dormer window. The north wing is of English garden wall bond (4:1) with an altered ground floor shown by patching, straight joints, brick lintels and infilling. The ground floor now has a glazed door with side lights to the left and a segmental-arched window to the right with no sill and a brick lintel. At the right-hand corner is an added brick archway over a doorway between the house and the former dairy building. The first floor has two eight-over-eight pane sashes with slightly projecting sills and gauged brick lintels. In the centre is a brick ridge stack. The return gable wall is blind with the ground floor partially obscured by the angled porch.

INTERIOR: the ground floor has a central entrance and stair hall with a room to each side, an opened-up group of rooms to the rear, reception room and secondary stair in the east wing and service rooms off a spine corridor in the north wing. The first floor has bedrooms opening off the stair landing and corridors. There is a partial attic with servants' rooms to the front of the house.

The stone-flagged entrance porch has part-glazed inner double inner doors with a moulded architrave. The entrance and stair hall has a single-flight staircase unusually rising to the first-floor landing from the rear of the room (the underneath facing the entrance doorway), indicating that it may have been turned round. The slender, turned newel post may be original, but the appearance of the square timber balusters, handrail and inner handrail attached to the wall suggest a twentieth century date. The doorways in the hall have moulded architraves with six-panelled doors to the rooms on each side, a four-panelled door at the foot of the stairs and a round-headed, half-glazed door to the rear rooms. There is also a moulded skirting and wide, reeded dado rail. The south front room has a moulded cornice and a mid- nineteenth century grey veined marble mantelpiece. The north front room has no cornice. The painted timber mantelpiece has engaged columns supporting the mantel shelf with reeding beneath the shelf and a reproduction tiled grate. To the rear four rooms have been opened-up to interconnect by removing most of the dividing walls. There are no cornices and the majority of the fittings are modern. The former largest room (on the south side) has a mid- nineteenth century black, veined marble mantelpiece with an inserted stove.

The large ground-floor room in the east wing has a moulded cornice, two round-headed windows with shutters, moulded architraves and panelled soffits and a top-lit, basket-arched buffet recess with moulded imposts and arch head and a panelled soffit. The three doorways have moulded architraves and two have six-panelled doors (the third doorway is presently being used as a bookcase). On the north side is a separate stairwell with a modern timber staircase.

The bedrooms on the first floor have six- or four-panelled doors and moulded architraves. Some rooms have chimney breasts but mantelpieces have been removed. A number have picture rails, but there are no cornices.

At the front of the house the roof structure over the attic rooms has large, squared machine-cut purlins and other beams. The rooms have plastered or boarded walls and plank and batten doors. Above one door is a servants’ bell. Two small fireplaces remain, one with a hob grate and one with a simple timber mantelpiece. The east wing (which does not have an attic) has been reroofed.

BARN
EXTERIOR: the L-shaped barn is built of brick in English garden wall bond and random bond, with a projecting row of two bricks at first-floor level and gables with projecting crowstepped brick coping at both ends of the west arm and the south end of the south arm. The roof is tiled.

The outer, north elevation of the barn has a covered passage (drift house) towards the left-hand side with a full-height depressed basket arch with stone blocks for door pintels and a recessed inner arch. It has two partial height plank and batten doors. To the left the wall is largely obscured by ivy. At ground-floor level there is an inserted mullion and transom window with three fixed lower lights and three smaller, bottom-hinged upper lights. Beneath the eaves is an inserted horizontal window of three-over-three fixed panes with a pitching door to the right. To the immediate right of the arch is a tall, square brick stack rising through the roof. The wall has a ventilation slit at ground-floor level and a row of similar ventilation slits at first-floor level. Beneath the eaves adjacent to the arch is a vertical casement window of six panes and a pitching door with a plank and batten door. At the right-hand end is an inserted ground-floor window with two bottom-hinged panes and a pitching door beneath the eaves. The north-west corner has a straight joint between the barn and the single-storey brick building, which has a blind elevation and slate roof.

The left-hand (east) inner wall of the covered passage is inserted with straight joints between it and the exterior walls. It has a pitching door at the gable apex. The right-hand (west) inner wall is bonded through and has an approximately square window of nine panes at ground-floor level with a central casement.

The west gable wall is obscured at ground-floor level by the later single-storey building. There is a central first-floor segmental brick arch marking the former position of a pitching door. Above is a single row of projecting bricks.

The east gable wall courses through with the east elevation of the south arm, both having a brick plinth; the left-hand end is obscured by the later lean-to brick shed with a roofline just below eaves level. At the right-hand corner is an inserted doorway with a concrete ramp. To the left is a blocked doorway into the south arm with stone blocks in the jambs for pintels. The first-floor level is partly obscured by ivy. In the centre of the gable is an inserted window and beneath the eaves to the left of the blocked doorway is a pitching door with a plank and batten door.

The south gable wall has a later lean-to extension against the ground floor. The first-floor level is blind with a partial row of projecting bricks to the gable apex. The lean-to has two blocked round-headed openings with an inserted window above.

The inner, south elevation of the west arm faces into the cobbled yard. At the right-hand end, close to the corner with the south arm, is the basket arch of the covered passage. To its left is a segmental-arched doorway with stone pintel blocks and a recessed brick frame. The upper half of the door is glazed. Above is a blocked ventilation slit. Immediately left at ground-floor level is an inserted segmental archway, now bricked up with a split stable door and adjacent window inserted into the blocking. Towards the left-hand end is a second inserted split stable door and adjacent window, a remaining stone block and straight joint beneath the window suggesting that it replaces an earlier doorway position. There is a patch of brick patching to the left. Above are two ventilation slits. There is a straight joint between the south-west corner of the barn and the single-storey building, which has a large central window with a timber frame.

The inner, west elevation of the south arm has full-height brick infill in the left-hand corner with a segmental-arched brick head beneath the eaves. In the centre is an inserted split stable door with brick patching to the head and a window to its left with concrete sill and lintel and a bottom-hinged upper light. At the right-hand end is an inserted segmental archway at ground-floor level, now bricked up with a window and doorway with concrete lintels inserted into the blocking, the doorway again altered to form a raised square aperture with a timber door. At first-floor level are three ventilation slits, two iron cross reinforcing bars, an inserted circular pitching eye, now glazed, and a small window above the blocked arch. There is a straight joint between the south-west corner and the lean-to extension. The extension has a doorway.

INTERIOR: the south arm is of three bays with two pegged collar trusses of hewn timber with a single trenched purlin to each side with a number of pegged scarf joints. There are also two iron tie-bars. The rafters are mostly of replacement machine-sawn timbers. Two brick cross walls divide the space. Blocked former apertures in both cross walls indicate a now removed first floor; there are the remains of a timber ceiling on the east side of the southern bay. A doorway has been inserted through the north cross wall and a row of modern stables has been inserted, continuing through into the north-east corner. The floor has been concreted. The roof structure in the north-east corner appears to have been altered. The purlins from the south arm have been sawn off before they meet the southern purlin of the roof structure for the west wing. Many of the timbers in this corner are of machine-sawn timbers, including the diagonal rafters where the two roofs meet and the slender rafters supporting the roof tiles. There is a similar hewn and pegged collar truss close to the inserted east wall of the covered passage. There are two large machine-sawn cross beams to support a now-removed first floor.

The west arm of the barn is divided into three separate compartments by brick cross walls. Next to the passage is a ceiled tack room with a corner fireplace with an early- nineteenth century iron hob grate and a boarded inner wall with pegs for tack. The adjacent room has a hewn cross beam, now supporting a first floor of modern timbers. The floor is concrete and there is a modern fitting for a corner feed bucket. The larger west room has a machine-sawn cross beam supporting a first floor of modern timbers and a concrete floor. In the west wall are two niches and in the south-east corner is a timber Jacob’s ladder to the first floor. The back wall has two semi-circular iron hayracks and there is also a modern corner feed bucket. The first-floor room has a hewn purlin to each side and machine-sawn rafters. The single storey west building and the converted south lean-to building have no features of interest.

<2> Historic England, 2011, The National Heritage List for England, 1066619, 1138759, 1279173 & 1330000 (Web Site). SCH6528.

<3> Barnwell, PS & Giles, C, 1997, English Farmsteads 1750-1914, p.122-145 (Booklet-Leaflet). SCH9308.

<4> See map for surveyor, c.1837-51, Cheshire Tithe Maps and Awards, EDT 61/2, c1840 (Maps and Plans). SCH3266.

This map depicts the house and L-shaped barn. The plot is described as house, garden and broom croft, owned and occupied by William Dean.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1871-1882, Ordnance Survey County Series (Epoch 1) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire, SJ7563, 1875 (Maps and Plans). SCH2462.

This map depicts the house and L-shaped barn. A possible yard lies between the house and barn, and another yard to the north-east and east of the barn. A greenhouse and a small outbuilding is located in the north-east corner of this area. To the south of the house is a possible garden and orchard. The north-western and western boundary of the farmstead and orchard is defined by a linear earthwork, possibly a bank and/or ditch. An unenclosed drive leads from the house to Pillar Box Lane. The farmstead is labelled Wellbank.

<6> Ordnance Survey, 1896-1898, Ordnance Survey First Revision County Series (Epoch 2) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire, SJ7563, 1898 (Maps and Plans). SCH3848.

As previously depicted.

<7> Ordnance Survey, 1909-1912, Ordnance Survey Second Revision County Series (Epoch 3) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire, SJ7563, 1909 (Maps and Plans). SCH4361.

As previously depicted.

<8> The GeoInformation Group, 2005, 1940s RAF Aerial Photographs from Operation Review (Aerial Photograph). SCH4608.

The orchard appears to have been largely replaced by a garden. A further garden is located to the east of the barn and yard. A further building has been built to the north of the barn and yard.