Building record 1484/1/1 - Hawthorn Hall

<1> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 414651 (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

Formerly hall, later school, now offices: dated 1698 for John Leigh but traces of earlier timber-framed core. English garden wall bond plum brick with Kerridge stone-slate roof, stone ridge and 3 brick chimneys. Long rectangular plan. North front is nearly symmetrical of 2½ storeys and 4 gables each with replaced barge-boards and mace finials. Brick band at 1st floor. Pairs of wooden mullioned and transomed windows under each gable. 2 with original rectangular leaded glazing, the rest with applied lead glazing, all under flat wedged brick heads. Central doorcase has plain pilasters with a segmental hood over a cartouche with the date, and a C20 copy of a studded oak 4-board door. Above this bay on a stone-coped eaves is a short balustrade, the end balusters are carved figures, the rest clasped by acanthus leaves. All this has 2 pine cone and a ball finial. Behind is an octagonal wooded half-glazed lantern with a lead cupola and weathervane. South front is similar but doorcase not central and with fluted sub-classical pilasters, no hood and a plaque with a lion rampant Balustrade now reduced but with evidence of twisted balusters, smaller pine cones and a ball finial with an odd cap. East front is twin gabled. Interior: 2 rooms, one to right and one above entrance have oak-panelled walls with 2-levels of bolection moulded panels, a moulded cornice and exposed ceiling beams. 2 and 3 panelled doors with raised fields survive to most rooms. Dogleg staircase has twisted balusters, and twisted newels and panelling above the wall string. Rooms at the south end of house show parts of timber-framing and later and daub infill, of an external wall of the previous house. There is a suggestion of close-studding. These rooms have ovolo-moulded beams. From south-east and north-east corners of house run intact brick garden walls with stone coping, each with a rusticated gate surround, one with scrolled tops, one with curlicues. At each corner with the house is a pine cone finial.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ88 SW 9 (Index). SCH2487.

A good small William and Mary brick manor house built circa 1698 of three storeys with four gables at the entrance and garden fronts, a flag roof, and a central octagonal glass roof lantern with a cupola. The windows are mullion and transom wood casements with leads, some original, and a short central stone balustrade above the eaves has carved figures and pineapples. The central entrance has a semi-circular hood on flat brackets. (DOE 1948).

<3> de Figueiredo P & Treuherz J, 1988, Cheshire Country Houses, p.239 (Book). SCH785.

Originally a timber framed house built around 1610, but extensively rebuilt and remodelled in 1698. The timber framing is still visible in the gables and in a interior wall and show how the original house was widened. The design of the 1698 house was constrained by the reuse of the earlier building and would have been considered old fashioned at the time. However, the cupola was a fashionable feature for the period, and it enabled views of the once extensive formal gardens.

<4> Hartwell C, Hyde M, Hubbard E & Pevsner N, 2011, The Buildings of England: Cheshire (2011 revision), p.673 (Book). SCH7059.

Dated 1698. Brick built with many gables, a pretty cupola and timber cross glazing. Attractive, but conservative for its age.

<5> Archaeological Research Services Ltd, 2009, An Archaeological Watching Brief of Hawthorn Hall Wilmslow (Client Report). SCH8048.

A watching brief revealed that traces of an earlier timber framed building, probably dating from the 16th century, are contained within the fabric of the later building on site which was constructed primarily at the turn of the 18th century. The watching brief revealed important information on the methods and fabric employed in the construction of the earlier building and how this had been incorporated into the later one. The original construction of Hawthorn Hall was of a rectangular construction with a timber frame built onto a sandstone plinth. A sill was placed horizontally along the sandstone foundation wall into which the four corner posts were set. The Northern elevation consisted of a further five intermediate posts creating six panels at each elevation. These panels currently contain brick nogging which were inserted when the substantial remodelling was undertaken which created a brick built hall. The original building was substantially smaller than the current building measuring approximately 12.3s in length, 4.9m in height and 11.3m in width. Includes a history of the buildings use and owners.

<6> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Vol III, p.592 (Book). SCH1389.

An ancient respectible (many gabled) mansion of brick. Now used as a school.

<7> Earwaker, J P, 1877-1880, East Cheshire Past & Present, Vol I, p.129-133 (Book). SCH1080.

Hawthorn Hall, situated to the SW of the church, in a small park now much curtailed, is a fair size brick house with many gables, and having a small cupola in the centre. It has all the characteristics of the style of houses, probably taken from the Dutch, which came into fashion with William III, in whose reign it was erected. The initials and date JL 1698, on the leaden spouts, fix the exact date of its erection. It is now, and has been for thirty years past, used a s a boys' school.

<8> Peter de Figueiredo (Independent Consultant), 2017, Hawthorn Hall, Wilmslow, Cheshire: Heritage Statement, R4568 (Client Report). SCH9167.

Heritage statement and photographic record produced in 2017 for Hawthorn Hall. The heritage significance of the site and its context can be summarised as follows:
1. A small yeoman farmer’s estate created and maintained by a succession of landowners, including John Latham, the Leigh and the Bower families.
2. A fine timber-framed house dating from the early 17th century, enlarged in the late 17th century, and encased in brick with stone dressings in a vernacular style, with important interiors.
3. Picturesque historic landscape, with tree-lined drive reached via carved stone gate piers, and attractive garden setting.