Mobberley Old Hall
Encyclopedia
Mobberley Old Hall is a country house in the village of Mobberley
, Cheshire
, England. It was built in 1612 and extended later in the 17th century. The house stands in gardens which retain part of the moat
and ancient yew trees. The house is Grade II* listed, and the grounds contain two Grade II listed buildings.
wool merchant. This is now the service wing. The second stage is larger and grander, and was built later in the century, probably for Laurence Wright of Offerton
. A barn was probably built at the same time, and is dated 1686. During the later part of the 19th century the house was owned by Rev Herbert Leigh Mallory, father of the mountaineer George Mallory
, who sold it in 1900. In 1924 the house was bought by Miss Elsie H. Bishop. She died in 1955 and bequeathed it to Manchester University
. The house was then rented by Professor John Wilkinson and his wife until 2003. In the following year the house and its estate were bought by Mohammed Isaq. In 2005 they were purchased by a different buyer for £3 million.
describes the plan of the house as being "irregular", and that it is "evidently only a fragment". Figueirdo and Treuherz note that the house does not have a "proper entrance front", and this suggests that "the house has been truncated or that it was intended to have been larger". The architectural style is Jacobean
. The house is constructed in red and orange brick, with stone dressings, and has stone slate roofs. There are two storeys, plus an attic and a basement. The left hand portion of the northwest front dates from 1612 and consists of four bays
with a central gable
. The two bays at the right hand date from the later extension. This projects slightly and contains a two-storey semi-octagonal bay window
. The south west front is symmetrical with three bays and a central arched doorway containing the entrance door.
to the northwest of the house date from the 17th century. They are also constructed in brick, and have stone a coping
.
Mobberley
Mobberley is a semi-rural village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, situated between Wilmslow and Knutsford. Mobberley railway station lies on the Manchester to Northwich and Chester line and was opened on 12 May, 1862 by the Cheshire...
, Cheshire
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 1612 and extended later in the 17th century. The house stands in gardens which retain part of the 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...
and ancient yew trees. The house is Grade II* listed, and the grounds contain two Grade II listed buildings.
History
The house dates from the 17th century, and was built in two phases. The first stage was built in 1612 for Robert Robinson, the son of a YorkshireYorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
wool merchant. This is now the service wing. The second stage is larger and grander, and was built later in the century, probably for Laurence Wright of Offerton
Offerton, Greater Manchester
Offerton is a suburb of Stockport, Greater Manchester. It includes the areas of Bosden Farm, Foggbrook and the Offerton Estate. It has one high school, Offerton School.-History:...
. A barn was probably built at the same time, and is dated 1686. During the later part of the 19th century the house was owned by Rev Herbert Leigh Mallory, father of the mountaineer George Mallory
George Mallory
George Herbert Leigh Mallory was an English mountaineer who took part in the first three British expeditions to Mount Everest in the early 1920s....
, who sold it in 1900. In 1924 the house was bought by Miss Elsie H. Bishop. She died in 1955 and bequeathed it to Manchester University
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
. The house was then rented by Professor John Wilkinson and his wife until 2003. In the following year the house and its estate were bought by Mohammed Isaq. In 2005 they were purchased by a different buyer for £3 million.
Architecture
The architectural historian Nikolaus PevsnerNikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
describes the plan of the house as being "irregular", and that it is "evidently only a fragment". Figueirdo and Treuherz note that the house does not have a "proper entrance front", and this suggests that "the house has been truncated or that it was intended to have been larger". The architectural style is Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
. The house is constructed in red and orange brick, with stone dressings, and has stone slate roofs. There are two storeys, plus an attic and a basement. The left hand portion of the northwest front dates from 1612 and consists of four bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
with a central 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...
. The two bays at the right hand date from the later extension. This projects slightly and contains a two-storey semi-octagonal bay window
Bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room, either square or polygonal in plan. The angles most commonly used on the inside corners of the bay are 90, 135 and 150 degrees. Bay windows are often associated with Victorian architecture...
. The south west front is symmetrical with three bays and a central arched doorway containing the entrance door.
External features
The house stands in gardens that include lawns, a kitchen garden, a paved garden, and woodland. Part of the moat is still present, and the line of the rest of it is marked by an ancient yew hedge. Associated with the house are two structures that have been designated by English Heritage as Grade II listed buildings. The barn dated 1686 is constructed in brick with stone dressings and has a stone slate roof. The wall and gate piersPier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
to the northwest of the house date from the 17th century. They are also constructed in brick, and have stone a coping
Coping (architecture)
Coping , consists of the capping or covering of a wall.A splayed or wedge coping slopes in a single direction; a saddle coping slopes to either side of a central high point....
.