Building record 1109/2/1 - Old Hall Hotel

<1> Department of the Environment, 1971-2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, /12 (Report). SCH1934.

Old Hall Hotel, High Street (south side). Dated 1656, but the two- gabled projecting wing on the lefthand side slightly later. A large timber framed building occupying the site of the ancient mansion of the Sandbaches, who were once lords of the manor. Three storeys; four gables with restored barge-boards and finials. Good exposed timber framing throughout with some shaped timbers having decorative motifs of balusters and barbed lozenges. Brick and stone base. Carriage arch under building at righthand side. Rear elevation is part timber frame and part brick. Interior of lefthand wing contains three good Jacobean fireplaces (possibly not insitu), good oak panelling (some not insitu) and original oak splat baluster staircase

<2> Earwaker J P, 1890, History of the Ancient Parish of Sandbach, Earwaker 1890 (N) (Book). SCH1431.

The manor remained in the hands of the Sandbach family until the failure of the male line in the mid 14thC. John de Legh succeeded to the manor by right of his wife Elizabeth Sandbach. Their only daughter & heiress, Matilda de Legh married Richard de Radcliffe of Ordsall. The manor remained in the hands of the Radcliffe family until 1611-2, when much of the manor & lands were sold off to various purchasers. The manorial rights & the remainder of the manor were subsequently bought by Sir Randle Crewe

<3> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, 3/96-7 (N) (Book). SCH1389.

<4> Archaeological Research Services Ltd, 2012, Archaeological watching Brief at Old Hall, Hotel, Sandbach, Cheshire (Client Report). SCH6775.

An archaeological watching brief and photographic survey carried out during the renovation and construction of a new extension to the Old Hall hotel in 2011.

This involved monitoring under watching brief conditions the machine excavation of two small exploratory evaluation trenches, service trenches, foundation trenches and a soak-away pit.
The results of the watching brief revealed that no archaeological remains were present within the excavated areas. The only finds present were reasonably modern butchered animal bones.

A photographic record was also made of the basement, which revealed no significant historic features. The photographic record is reproduced in this report as Appendix 2.