Hinderton Hall
Encyclopedia
Hinderton Hall is a former country house, standing to the northeast of Neston, Cheshire
, England. It was built in 1856 for Christopher Bushell, a Liverpool
wine merchant. The architect was Alfred Waterhouse
. It was "an exceptionally early work", designed before his first major commission, the Manchester Assize Courts
. Extensions to the house were built in the 20th century for Sir Percy Bates
, chairman of the Cunard Line
. The building has since been used as offices. The house is constructed in coursed
rock-faced sandstone
, with ashlar
quoins
and dressings. Its plan is approximately square. The house has tall gable
s, and steep roofs in patterned slate
. At the corner of the entrance front is a thin tower. Internally, the entrance hall contains the staircase, with the reception rooms grouped around it. Waterhouse designed three lodges and a stable block in a similar style. The house has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II listed building, as has the entrance lodge.
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England. It was built in 1856 for Christopher Bushell, a Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
wine merchant. The architect was Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse was a British architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. He is perhaps best known for his design for the Natural History Museum in London, and Manchester Town Hall, although he also built a wide variety of other buildings throughout the...
. It was "an exceptionally early work", designed before his first major commission, the Manchester Assize Courts
Manchester assize courts
The Manchester Assize Courts were law courts once located on Great Ducie Street in Strangeways, Manchester in England. From 1864 to 1877, the 85 metre building was the tallest in Manchester before being overtaken by the Manchester Town Hall...
. Extensions to the house were built in the 20th century for Sir Percy Bates
Percy Bates
Sir Percy Elly Bates, 4th Baronet, GBE was an English shipowner.Bates was born in Wavertree, Liverpool, the second son of Sir Edward Percy Bates, 2nd Baronet. He was educated at Winchester College from 1892 to 1897 and was then apprenticed to William Johnston & Co, a Liverpool shipowners...
, chairman of the Cunard Line
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
. The building has since been used as offices. The house is constructed in coursed
Course (architecture)
A course is a continuous horizontal layer of similarly-sized building material one unit high, usually in a wall. The term is almost always used in conjunction with unit masonry such as brick, cut stone, or concrete masonry units .-Styles:...
rock-faced sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, with ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
quoins
Quoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
and dressings. Its plan is approximately square. The house has tall gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
s, and steep roofs in patterned slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
. At the corner of the entrance front is a thin tower. Internally, the entrance hall contains the staircase, with the reception rooms grouped around it. Waterhouse designed three lodges and a stable block in a similar style. The house has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II listed building, as has the entrance lodge.