Rufford New Hall
Encyclopedia
Rufford New Hall is a former country house which belonged to the Heskeths who were lords of the manor and replaced Rufford Old Hall
as their residence in Rufford
, Lancashire
, England. It has been designated a Grade II Listed building since 1986.
Rufford New Hall was a country house built in 1760 and extended in 1798. It is built in brick which was formerly stucco
ed. It has a low-pitched hipped slate roof concealed by a low parapet
. The two storey symmetrical frontage has a 5-bay facade with an Ionic
portico
of unfluted columns over a wide doorway with a fanlight
. The hall has four 15-paned sashed windows on the ground floor, with five 12-paned windows on the first floor. Some spout heads bear the initials of Sir Thomas Dalrymple Hesketh and the date 1811 and one is dated 1822. The entrance hall has a cantilevered or flying stone staircase and landing on three sides with wrought iron baluster
s and is lighted by a domed oval skylight
. The main hall has columns and pilaster
s made from Scagliola
marble.
in 1920 and converted for use as a hospital. On 6 August 1926 Rufford Pulmonary Hospital opened with 50 beds to treat patients with tuberculosis
. Subsequently it was used by the NHS
as a pre-convalescent hospital until its closure in 1987. The convalescent hospital was administrated by Ormskirk District General Hospital.
to the boundary with Croston
and Mawdesley
. The area was divided by the Liverpool-Preston Turnpike Road (the A59 Liverpool Road
). The development of the park resulted in cottages being demolished and their inhabitants relocated in the village. The park is screened by trees and contains an ice house, a rose garden, a restored ornamental garden, lake, and plantations. The southern part of the park is designated a Biological Heritage Site, and is home to bats, red squirrels and other species of animals, shrubs and rare fungi.
, brick and earth with a domed roof above an underground chamber entered through a brick passage. Surrounding the ice house is a ha-ha forming a complete circle about 35 metres in diameter. In winter, ice was taken from the frozen lake to the ice house for storage for the rest of the year.
ed with stone dressings. Croston Lodge is the north entrance lodge on the A59, Liverpool Road
, built in 1798. It is a single storey brick building with a slate roof. Springwood Lodge is the former gamekeeper or gardener's cottage.
.
Rufford Old Hall
Rufford Old Hall, a National Trust property and Grade I listed building, was built in the 15th century for Sir Thomas Hesketh in Rufford, Lancashire, England...
as their residence in Rufford
Rufford, Lancashire
-Population :-Economy:The village is largely rural with little or no industry. The farmland is grade one agricultural land. In the early 20th century the village was described as "one of the prettiest in South Lancashire" and was a destination for day trips from neighbouring towns...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England. It has been designated a Grade II Listed building since 1986.
History
The hall was built by Sir Robert Hesketh in 1760 and enlarged by his grandson around 1798-9 when the Heskeths left Rufford Old Hall. The Heskeths lived at Rufford New Hall until 1919.Rufford New Hall was a country house built in 1760 and extended in 1798. It is built in brick which was formerly stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
ed. It has a low-pitched hipped slate roof concealed by a low parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
. The two storey symmetrical frontage has a 5-bay facade with an Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
of unfluted columns over a wide doorway with a fanlight
Fanlight
A fanlight is a window, semicircular or semi-elliptical in shape, with glazing bars or tracery sets radiating out like an open fan, It is placed over another window or a doorway. and is sometimes hinged to a transom. The bars in the fixed glazed window spread out in the manner a sunburst...
. The hall has four 15-paned sashed windows on the ground floor, with five 12-paned windows on the first floor. Some spout heads bear the initials of Sir Thomas Dalrymple Hesketh and the date 1811 and one is dated 1822. The entrance hall has a cantilevered or flying stone staircase and landing on three sides with wrought iron baluster
Baluster
A baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of various forms of spindle in woodwork, made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing, and supporting the coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a...
s and is lighted by a domed oval skylight
Skylight
Skylight may refer to:* Skylight * Skylight , by David Hare* Skylight of a lava tube, a hole in the ceiling of the tube* Skylight, Arkansas* Skylight, a short film by David Clayton Rogers* Skylight Pictures, a film company...
. The main hall has columns and pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s made from Scagliola
Scagliola
Scagliola , is a technique for producing stucco columns, sculptures, and other architectural elements that resemble inlays in marble and semi-precious stones...
marble.
Hospital
Rufford New Hall was bought by Lancashire County CouncilLancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. It currently consists of 84 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, who won control of the council in the local council elections in June 2009, ending 28 years of...
in 1920 and converted for use as a hospital. On 6 August 1926 Rufford Pulmonary Hospital opened with 50 beds to treat patients with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. Subsequently it was used by the NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
as a pre-convalescent hospital until its closure in 1987. The convalescent hospital was administrated by Ormskirk District General Hospital.
Rufford Park
The Heskeths created Rufford Park around the hall, with a deer park, a ha-ha, and leisure gardens surrounded by a stone wall. Rufford Park extended from the boundary with HolmeswoodHolmeswood
Holmeswood is a small agricultural village in West Lancashire, in the north-west of England. It lies just north of the Martin Mere Wetland Centre and to the south of North Meols about six miles east of the Irish Sea coast at Southport....
to the boundary with Croston
Croston
-External links:**** chorley.gov.uk....
and Mawdesley
Mawdesley
Mawdesley is a village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England. According to the 2001 Census it had a population of 1,787.-History:...
. The area was divided by the Liverpool-Preston Turnpike Road (the A59 Liverpool Road
A59 road
The A59 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Liverpool in Merseyside, to York in North Yorkshire.-Merseyside:The A59 begins in the centre of Liverpool at the mouth of the Birkenhead Tunnel, and heads north out of the city, first as Scotland Road in Vauxhall, then Kirkdale Road,...
). The development of the park resulted in cottages being demolished and their inhabitants relocated in the village. The park is screened by trees and contains an ice house, a rose garden, a restored ornamental garden, lake, and plantations. The southern part of the park is designated a Biological Heritage Site, and is home to bats, red squirrels and other species of animals, shrubs and rare fungi.
Ice House
The Ice House is a Grade II listed building, one of three survivors in the district. The building was renovated when the main hall was restored and is protected and maintained by the estate. The icehouse is circular, built in sandstoneSandstone
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,...
, brick and earth with a domed roof above an underground chamber entered through a brick passage. Surrounding the ice house is a ha-ha forming a complete circle about 35 metres in diameter. In winter, ice was taken from the frozen lake to the ice house for storage for the rest of the year.
Lodges
Rufford New Hall had three lodges, which can be seen on the 1847 Ordnance Survey map. Holmeswood Lodge was constructed in the early 19th century on Holmeswood Road. Hesketh Lodge was constructed in the early 19th century as the main entrance lodge. It was named after the original owners. It is a single storey building and is stuccoStucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
ed with stone dressings. Croston Lodge is the north entrance lodge on the A59, Liverpool Road
A59 road
The A59 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Liverpool in Merseyside, to York in North Yorkshire.-Merseyside:The A59 begins in the centre of Liverpool at the mouth of the Birkenhead Tunnel, and heads north out of the city, first as Scotland Road in Vauxhall, then Kirkdale Road,...
, built in 1798. It is a single storey brick building with a slate roof. Springwood Lodge is the former gamekeeper or gardener's cottage.
Restoration
The hall and north wing were restored and converted into apartments and mews houses. The stone cantilevered staircase with the Hesketh family crest, the Georgian belvedere tower and the oval glass dome on the roof have been retained. The hall retains its Ionic colonnades and portico. The stable block has been converted to mews cottages. The formal gardens, ornamental ponds, lawns and tennis courts have been restored. The majority of trees around the hall are protected by a Tree Preservation Order and include many species, the rarest being a handkerchief treeDove tree
The Dove Tree is a medium-sized deciduous tree, usually placed in the tupelo family , but is sometimes included in the dogwood family , and by yet others given family status of its own, as Davidiaceae. It is also known as the Handkerchief tree or Pocket-handkerchief tree...
.