Building record 2853/0/106 - Hall Farmhouse

A 17th century farmhouse originally built to hall house plan. Now house styled to a courtyard plan with buildings attached to the south of the house. Altered late 18th century and early and late 19th century. Occupied by William Law, Hester Gibbon and Elizabeth Hutcheson during the 19th century. The building is constructed of squared coursed limestone with ashlar dressings, parapets and chimney stacks with a Collyweston slate roof.

{1} Farmhouse, now house. Late medieval, datestone 1603, late C18 and early and late C19. Squared coursed limestone with ashlar dressings and limestone ashlar and Collyweston slate roof. Originally medieval hall house now courtyard plan with barn, stables, flat and outbuildings attached to south of Hall Farmhouse (q.v.). 2 storeys. Entrance front, to Hall Yard, is an irregular 4-window range. Two tall 6-panel unhorned sash windows to left have ashlar surrounds and stone lintels with keyblocks. These windows serve the music room. Two 8-paned, unhorned, sash windows to first floor left have similar surrounds, set under eaves. Similar ground floor window to far left has a gauged stone head. 6-panelled door, to left of centre, has moulded stone surround and 4-centred arch-head with date above door "Anno 1603". Ashlar gable parapets and ashlar ridge and end stacks. Elevation to left of entrance front has central 6-panelled door with plain stone surround. Flanking sash and casement windows under wood lintels. Leaded cross window, to first floor left, gable to right. Garden front t,o rear, is ashlar with a 2-window range of 8-paned sash windows, at first floor, with moulded stone surrounds and keyblocks. 2 late C19 canted stone bay windows at ground floor. Bay attached to left is C17 with a 4-light stone mullion window to ground and first floor. Courtyard elevation, to rear of entrance front, has 3 tall window openings now blocked. Elevation to right has central 4-panelled door. Leaded cross window to right and 2 sash windows, one is a stair window. Courtyard elevation, to rear of garden front, has a 2-light stone mullion window, central projection with a leaded casement and lean-to projection attached to left. Single-storey ashlar quadrant, with circular window, to left, at intersection of ranges. Interior: dining room to left of entrance occupies part of medieval hall. Mid C17 fireplace with eared architrave, scroll decoration at sides, plain central panel and moulded frieze and cornice. Horizontal wainscote dado. Early C19 doorcase with reeded pilasters, to right of fireplace, leads to staircase hall. Early C19 staircase with stick balustrades. C19 panelling, incorporates fragments of C18 fielded panelling. Music room, at mezzanine level to right of entrance, was formed late C18. Deeply coved ceiling decorated with plaster swags and intersecting circles, with a guilloche border. Moulded wood fireplace surround has oval central scene. Roof structure of former open hall retains upper sections of 2 smoke blackened trusses, with collars extending beyond the principals to support the purlins. The hall was subdivided early C17 and a stack inserted. The house was occupied by William Law, the C18 divine; 1744 to 1761. Hester Gibbon and Elizabeth Hucheson also lived at the house during this tine, it was their intersion to establish a household based on Laws book published in 1728, "A Serious call to a Devout and Holy Life". On the death of Hester Gibbon in 1790 the house reverted to the Law family who remodelled the entrance front at about this time. The house remained in the Law family until late C19. (RCHM: An Inventory of Architectural Monuments in North Northamptonshire: p99)

{4} Undated photo;

{6} Photo dated 12th May 1963;

<1> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, p.57 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN40683.

<2> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 12/109 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1984, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 99, figure 126 & plate 103, 112 (Series). SNN77384.

<4> Photographs of buildings in King's Cliffe (Photographs). SNN112705.

<5> Historic England, Undated, HALL FARM, KINGS CLIFFE, BF084134 (Archive). SNN114372.

<6> Miss June Swann, 1960s- 70s, Miss June Swann Photographic Archive (Photographs). SNN116665.

Record last edited

Feb 5 2025 11:09AM