Langley Hall, West Midlands
Encyclopedia
Langley Hall was a manor house
just off Fox Hollies Road, one mile from the centre of Walmley
in Sutton Coldfield
in the historic county
of Warwickshire
.
The date of construction is unknown, however, by the 13th century, it was the seat of de Beresfords of Wishaw
. One member of the family was the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
in 1289, and another was a confidential retainer to the Black Prince.
Langley Hall was a large house, with a moat
surrounding it and a pond and fishery within its grounds. It was held by the Earl of Warwick
. In 1327, Edmund de Beresford had license to crenelate the house, making it into a fortified building.
The hall passed into the ownership of the Hores before being owned by the Pudseys, strong supporters of the Parliamentarians
during the English Civil War
. In the reign of Henry VII
, Edith Hore formed a relationship with Rowland Pudsey, and they soon married resulting in Rowland acquiring the hall and estate. One of his descendants, Henry Pudsey, died in 1677, leaving two daughters, Elizabeth and Anne, plus a widow
, Jane Pudsey. She later married William Wilson
who was a local architect
, builder
and sculptor. Her daughters disapproved of the marriage and Jane was forced to leave the house. Anne, the younger of the two daughters, inherited the hall following her father's death. Elizabeth Pudsey went on to marry William Jesson
, who built Four Oaks Hall with the help of William Wilson.
The history of the hall is unknown during the 18th century, however, it is known that it was rebuilt in brick. The hall was then sold by the grandson of Jenson to Andrew Hackett and in 1815, it was bequeathed to George Bowyer Adderley. In 1817, George Bowyer Adderley sold the hall to Robert Peel
who immediately demolished the hall for no indicated reason. The moat remained, however, it did sustain some damage from the demolition of the hall.
During the history of the hall, a farm served the owners. As part of this farm was a windmill, one of only two in the area, the other being located in Maney
. A watermill was also operating in the estate for a short period of time. Both mills were used in the process of corn
milling.
The site, now in Birmingham
in the West Midlands
, is currently occupied by a private residence named Langley House. The moat remains, however, has been drained and is overgrown with plants. Nearby is Langley Hall Farm, which used to serve the hall. Built in the Queen Anne
style, it was refurbished in the 1990s into private residences with a landscaped courtyard.
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
just off Fox Hollies Road, one mile from the centre of Walmley
Walmley
Walmley is an area of Sutton Coldfield, England. It is in south Sutton Coldfield, near to Minworth, Wylde Green, Erdington and south of Thimble End. It is approximately northeast of Birmingham city centre...
in Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield is a suburb of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Sutton is located about from central Birmingham but has borders with Erdington and Kingstanding. Sutton is in the northeast of Birmingham, with a population of 105,000 recorded in the 2001 census...
in the historic county
Counties of the United Kingdom
The counties of the United Kingdom are subnational divisions of the United Kingdom, used for the purposes of administrative, geographical and political demarcation. By the Middle Ages counties had become established as a unit of local government, at least in England. By the early 17th century all...
of Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
.
The date of construction is unknown, however, by the 13th century, it was the seat of de Beresfords of Wishaw
Wishaw, Warwickshire
Wishaw is a village and civil parish in the north-west of Warwickshire, England. It is located within the district of North Warwickshire and is famous as the home of The Belfry golf resort, which has hosted the Ryder Cup on no less than four separate occasions...
. One member of the family was the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
The Court of Common Pleas, also known as the Common Bench or Common Place, was the second highest common law court in the English legal system until 1880, when it was dissolved. As such, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was one of the highest judicial officials in England, behind only the Lord...
in 1289, and another was a confidential retainer to the Black Prince.
Langley Hall was a large house, with a moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
surrounding it and a pond and fishery within its grounds. It was held by the Earl of Warwick
Earl of Warwick
Earl of Warwick is a title that has been created four times in British history and is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the British Isles.-1088 creation:...
. In 1327, Edmund de Beresford had license to crenelate the house, making it into a fortified building.
The hall passed into the ownership of the Hores before being owned by the Pudseys, strong supporters of the Parliamentarians
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. In the reign of Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
, Edith Hore formed a relationship with Rowland Pudsey, and they soon married resulting in Rowland acquiring the hall and estate. One of his descendants, Henry Pudsey, died in 1677, leaving two daughters, Elizabeth and Anne, plus a widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
, Jane Pudsey. She later married William Wilson
William Wilson (architect)
Sir William Wilson was an English architect, builder and sculptor.Born in 1641 in Leicester, he was the son of a baker. In his early life, it is believed that he served an apprenticeship with a statuary mason. It is also claimed that he studied under Sir Christopher Wren at Oxford University where...
who was a local architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, builder
Construction worker
A construction worker or builder is a professional, tradesman, or labourer who directly participates in the physical construction of infrastructure.-Construction trades:...
and sculptor. Her daughters disapproved of the marriage and Jane was forced to leave the house. Anne, the younger of the two daughters, inherited the hall following her father's death. Elizabeth Pudsey went on to marry William Jesson
William Jesson
William Jesson was an English dyer and politician who was active in local government in Coventry and sat in the House of Commons between 1640 and 1648....
, who built Four Oaks Hall with the help of William Wilson.
The history of the hall is unknown during the 18th century, however, it is known that it was rebuilt in brick. The hall was then sold by the grandson of Jenson to Andrew Hackett and in 1815, it was bequeathed to George Bowyer Adderley. In 1817, George Bowyer Adderley sold the hall to Robert Peel
Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...
who immediately demolished the hall for no indicated reason. The moat remained, however, it did sustain some damage from the demolition of the hall.
During the history of the hall, a farm served the owners. As part of this farm was a windmill, one of only two in the area, the other being located in Maney
Maney
Maney is an area of Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. It is situated close to the town centre of Sutton Coldfield and is also near Wylde Green and Walmley. The main thoroughfare is Birmingham Road, which runs through Maney.-Facilities:...
. A watermill was also operating in the estate for a short period of time. Both mills were used in the process of corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
milling.
The site, now in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
in the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, is currently occupied by a private residence named Langley House. The moat remains, however, has been drained and is overgrown with plants. Nearby is Langley Hall Farm, which used to serve the hall. Built in the Queen Anne
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
style, it was refurbished in the 1990s into private residences with a landscaped courtyard.