Timperley Hall
Encyclopedia
Timperley Hall was a moated manor house
in Timperley
, Greater Manchester
, England, first recorded in 1560, but almost certainly built to replace an earlier medieval structure. Very little remains of the 16th-century Hall, which is not shown on the Tithe map
of 1838. The date of the Hall's demolition is unknown, but the size of the moat suggests that it was a "substantial" house. The present-day Timperley Hall was probably constructed during the late 18th century, close to the site of the older Hall.
of Timperley in 1270; the manor subsequently passed through several generations of the de Mascy family. The first record of a hall in the manor appears in the 1560 will of William Aderne, Mayor of Altrincham. Although that must have replaced an earlier medieval Hall, archeological excavations have discovered very little evidence of the older structure's existence, other than a great deal of medieval pottery. The Reverend Croxton Johnson inherited the Timperley Hall estate from his father, George Johnson, in 1795. He offered the 46 hectares (113.7 acre) estate to the Earl of Stamford
for £25,000 in 1809, equivalent to about £1.43 million as of 2008, but the sale did not go ahead. The property was advertised for sale the following year, and was bought by local businessman James Wood in 1811. Timperley Hall was then described as a "handsome mansion of brick", suggesting that it may have been built at some time during the latter half of the 18th century, perhaps by George Johnson. Evidence from the estate's rate books suggests that the moated Hall had been demolished by 1811, and that its site was being used as a walled garden.
Davenportgreen Hall in nearby Hale
, which was probably built at about the same time. The Hall was built on a roughly rectangular platform of clay, 42 metres (137.8 ft) long by 40 metres (131.2 ft) wide, surrounded on all sides by a flat-bottomed moat varying from 10 – in width and about 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in depth. Water for the moat came from a tributary of the nearby Timperley Brook. A stone and brick twin-arched bridge, about 3 metres (9.8 ft) wide, spanned the north moat, allowing access to the Hall. The bridge was badly damaged by a falling tree during the winter of 1993/4, and it was subsequently demolished.
between 1986 and 2004 produced pottery finds indicating that the site of the Old Hall was continuously occupied from the 14th century until the end of the 18th century.
. Some of the internal brickwork was revealed during refurbishment in 2004, exposing small, hand-made bricks that date from the late 17th century, probably taken from the moated Hall. Referred to locally as "The Old Hall", the building served as the club house for Timperley Golf Club from 1896 until 1934, when it and the estate which included the golf course were bought jointly by Altrincham Urban District Council and Timperley Parish Council for £38,000, equivalent to about £2.01 million as of 2008. The golf course was opened to the public in 1935. Since 1950, the Hall has been owned by a series of breweries, most recently by Hydes Brewery, and it is now operated as a public house. The site of the moated Hall, Trafford Hall Farm, and the golf club, are owned by Trafford Council as of 2010.
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...
in Timperley
Timperley
Timperley is a village within the Altrincham area, of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. Situated within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, Timperley is approximately seven miles southwest of Manchester....
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England, first recorded in 1560, but almost certainly built to replace an earlier medieval structure. Very little remains of the 16th-century Hall, which is not shown on the Tithe map
Tithe maps
The term Tithe map is usually applied to a map of an English or Welsh parish or township, prepared following the Tithe Commutation Act 1836. This act allowed tithes to be paid in cash rather than goods. The map and its accompanying schedule gave the names of all owners and occupiers of land in the...
of 1838. The date of the Hall's demolition is unknown, but the size of the moat suggests that it was a "substantial" house. The present-day Timperley Hall was probably constructed during the late 18th century, close to the site of the older Hall.
History
Sir John (Mascy) de Tymperlegh is recorded as lord of the manorManorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Timperley in 1270; the manor subsequently passed through several generations of the de Mascy family. The first record of a hall in the manor appears in the 1560 will of William Aderne, Mayor of Altrincham. Although that must have replaced an earlier medieval Hall, archeological excavations have discovered very little evidence of the older structure's existence, other than a great deal of medieval pottery. The Reverend Croxton Johnson inherited the Timperley Hall estate from his father, George Johnson, in 1795. He offered the 46 hectares (113.7 acre) estate to the Earl of Stamford
George Grey, 5th Earl of Stamford
George Harry Grey, 5th Earl of Stamford , styled Lord Grey from 1739 to 1768, was an English nobleman....
for £25,000 in 1809, equivalent to about £1.43 million as of 2008, but the sale did not go ahead. The property was advertised for sale the following year, and was bought by local businessman James Wood in 1811. Timperley Hall was then described as a "handsome mansion of brick", suggesting that it may have been built at some time during the latter half of the 18th century, perhaps by George Johnson. Evidence from the estate's rate books suggests that the moated Hall had been demolished by 1811, and that its site was being used as a walled garden.
Timperley "Old" Hall
There are no known eyewitness accounts or drawings to indicate what the moated Hall looked like, but it may have been similar to the half-timberedTimber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
Davenportgreen Hall in nearby Hale
Hale, Greater Manchester
Hale is a village and electoral ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is contiguous with the southeast of Altrincham, approximately southwest of the city of Manchester....
, which was probably built at about the same time. The Hall was built on a roughly rectangular platform of clay, 42 metres (137.8 ft) long by 40 metres (131.2 ft) wide, surrounded on all sides by a flat-bottomed moat varying from 10 – in width and about 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in depth. Water for the moat came from a tributary of the nearby Timperley Brook. A stone and brick twin-arched bridge, about 3 metres (9.8 ft) wide, spanned the north moat, allowing access to the Hall. The bridge was badly damaged by a falling tree during the winter of 1993/4, and it was subsequently demolished.
Excavations
Excavations carried out by the South Trafford Archaeological GroupSouth Trafford Archaeological Group
The South Trafford Archaeological Group is an archaeological group based in Timperley, Greater Manchester. The group promotes interest in and the study of archaeology and history locally, especially within Trafford but also beyond the borders of the borough...
between 1986 and 2004 produced pottery finds indicating that the site of the Old Hall was continuously occupied from the 14th century until the end of the 18th century.
Timperley "New" Hall
Present-day Timperley Hall is an 18th-century three-storey brick building to which wings were added at a later date. Very little remains of the original structure, as the building has been refurbished many times during its lifetime. Cellars beneath the main building are barrel-vaultedBarrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
. Some of the internal brickwork was revealed during refurbishment in 2004, exposing small, hand-made bricks that date from the late 17th century, probably taken from the moated Hall. Referred to locally as "The Old Hall", the building served as the club house for Timperley Golf Club from 1896 until 1934, when it and the estate which included the golf course were bought jointly by Altrincham Urban District Council and Timperley Parish Council for £38,000, equivalent to about £2.01 million as of 2008. The golf course was opened to the public in 1935. Since 1950, the Hall has been owned by a series of breweries, most recently by Hydes Brewery, and it is now operated as a public house. The site of the moated Hall, Trafford Hall Farm, and the golf club, are owned by Trafford Council as of 2010.