Building record 1143/1/0 - Somerford Booths Hall

<1> Department of the Environment, 1971-2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, Vol 1, p.112 (Report). SCH1934.

Somerford Booths Hall, Off Hallgreen Lane. County House, dated 1612. Rendered brick with ashlar dressings and a slate roof, E-shaped double-pile plan. Entrance front - five bays symmetrically disposed with a central porch wing and ashlar plinth. The porch wing has a lintel and keystones inscribed "Edmund Swetenham 1612/AD". Full architectural description

<2> de Figueiredo P & Treuherz J, 1988, Cheshire Country Houses, p.272 (Book). SCH785.

A moated house of 1612 built for Edward Swetenham. It was improved in 1817 for Clement Swetenham by john Webb the landscape gardener and architect who worked at Somerford Park nearby (CHER 1150). The improvements included a large square mullioned and castellated bay window in the middle of the south front. The house is a dull composition small and roughcast with gables and Tudor style windows with square hood moulds. Now offices

<3> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, p.560 (Book). SCH1389.

<4> Twycross, E., 1847, The Mansions of England & Wales Vol.II County Palatine of Chester, Twycross 2, p.101 (Book). SCH2092.

<5> Historic England, 2011, The National Heritage List for England, 1138721 (Web Site). SCH6528.

Country House, Grade II*. Dated 1612. Rendered brick with ashlar dressings and a slate roof. Two storeys with attic. E-shaped double-pile plan. Entrance front: five bays symmetrically disposed with a central porch wing and ashlar plinth. The porch wing has a central doorway with an ashlar surround, the lintel of which is inscribed "Edmund Swetenham" at either side of a keystone inscribed "1612/A.D". To the first floor is a window of 4 lights with an ovolo moulded surround with mullions and a transom. Gablet above this with ashlar kneelers and coping and ball finials to the sides and apex. To either side at ground floor level are recessed portions of walling with 5-light windows to the ground floor with ovolo moulded surrounds and each having a transom. Similar windows of 4 lights to the first floor. The lateral projecting wings have 5-light mullioned windows at ground floor level and similar 4-light windows to the first floor, both with ovolo-moulded surrounds. These lateral wings in common with the central wing have ashlar springers, coping and ball finials. The main body of the Hall continues above the level of the projecting wings to the attic floor which has a further three gables set behind each of the wings and of similar form with ashlar springers, coping and ball finials and each containing a 3-light ovolo-moulded window. Those windows at right of the central porch all have hood surrounds as opposed to the ashlar surrounds at left, and appear to be of C19 date. The left hand side has 4 bays, those two at right surmounted by a gable and that at far left also beneath a gable with that at left of centre projecting slightly and having a flat parapet to the top of the wall. At ground floor level are 4 sets of French windows of C19 date with 4-centred arches to the head of each light. The first floor windows are all of 4 x 4 sash panes. The rear has 5 bays symmetrically disposed with the two bays at each side set beneath gables and the central bay having a flat parapet to the top of the walling. Two C19 cross-windows to each side at ground floor level with 4-centred arches to each light. To the first floor are two 2-light windows at each side with 4-centred heads to each light and the attic has a 2-light casement window to each of the gables. To the centre at ground floor level is a late C19 canted bay window of red sandstone ashlar which has 4 lights to the centre and single lights to the angles, having ovolo-moulded mullions and two transoms and a trefoil head to each light. At first floor level is a 4-light casement window with ovolo-moulded mullions and a transom. Adjoining this front at left is an extensive single-storey C20 addition.

<6> Architectural History Practice, 2008, Historic Building Appraisal and Impact Assessment: Somerford Booths Hall, near Congleton, Cheshire, R2975 (Client Report). SCH5291.

An historic building appraisal was produced in 2008 for Somerford Booths Hall in advance of proposed development. The study concluded that the building is a good example of a gentry house, built as a timber-framed house in the late sixteenth century, partly re-fronted in 1612, with further re-modelling in circa 1700, also in the early nineteenth century by the architect John Webb. Further phases of development occurred in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The exterior reflects at least four phases of development and re-modelling. The interior was severely damaged by late twentieth century works to convert the building to office use. Historic ancilliary buildings were demolished and replaced with office buildings and three bungalows in the 1960s.

The interior of the building is significant for its structural timbers and roof structure, also for a few remaining original features such as a fireplace, stone overmantel features and date stone from the early seventeenth century. Dating to the nineteenth century phases, there is decorative plasterwork in several ground floor rooms. Architecturally, the best rooms are those that overlook the gardens to the east and south, with a few historic features extant in the north-east rooms on all floors.

The grounds appear to largely date from landscaping of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, with significant features including the south drive, terrace walls, walled kitchen garden and mature trees. The site is of archaeological significance and evidence of earlier structures may survive below ground. There may also be evidence of earlier historic garden layout.

<7> AOC Archaeology Group, 2020, Somerford Booths Hall, Cheshire: Archaeological Watching Brief Report, R4633 (Client Report). SCH9288.

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken in 2019 and 2020 during groundworks associated with a residential development at Somerford Booths Hall, Cheshire. The main focus of the development lay on the northern part of the site, a wide flat area. This area was stripped of topsoil before drainage trenches, inspection chambers and footings were excavated. A single drainage trench lead from this area to a balancing pond at the southern extent of the site. The watching brief encountered three lengths of brick wall which may relate to the late 17th or early 18th century stable block to the rear of the hall, but this remains a tentative interpretation. For the most part, however, the watching brief only encountered late post-medieval deposits of low archaeological significance.