Gawsworth Old Hall
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gawsworth Old Hall is a country house in the village of Gawsworth, Cheshire, England (grid reference SJ891697). It is a Grade I listed building.[1]
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[edit] History
The original house was Norman and this was rebuilt in 1480 and extensively remodelled in 1701. The estate belonged to the Fitton family and one of the daughters of the family was Mary Fitton who served as maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth I. Mary was dismissed from court after she became pregnant by the Earl of Pembroke. Mary Fitton is one of the candidates for the "Dark Lady" of Shakespeare's sonnets. After the death of Edward Fitton, 2nd Baron of Gawsworth, in 1642, the inheritance of the estate was in dispute. This led to a famous duel in 1712 in which both protagonists, Lord Mohun and the Duke of Hamilton were killed. The last professional jester in the country, Samuel "Maggoty" Johnson, lived in the house and is buried nearby.[2] In the early 19th century the hall was described as being a ruin.[3]
[edit] Architecture
The building dates from the 15th and 16th centuries with additions in the 19th and 20th centuries. It was originally quadrilateral in plan but has been reduced to a three-sided courtyard.[4] The hall is partly timber framed with whitewashed wattle and daub or brick infill, and partly built from red brick with a slate roof.[1] The interior has fine woodwork, and in the library are bookcases designed by Pugin which were formerly in Scarisbrick Hall.[5]
[edit] Surroundings
Originally the hall was set in a park of some 600 acres (2.4 km²) and contained a tilting ground and an Elizabethan pleasure garden of around 30 acres (0.1 km²).[6] The pleasure garden was further developed in the 1960s.[7] The gatehouse to the hall dating from the middle of the 17th century,[8] a pair of gate piers from the late 17th or early 18th century,[9] the 16th century garden walls,[10] and the tomb of Samuel "Maggoty" Johnson in a nearby wood,[11] are listed Grade II.
[edit] Today
The hall is owned by the Richards family and is open to the public during the summer months.[12] During the year events are organised,[13] weddings can be held,[14] and in the summer months concerts and plays are performed in an open air theatre in the grounds.[15]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Images of England: Gawsworth Old Hall. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-04-03.
- ^ A Brief History of Gawsworth Hall. Gawsworth Hall. Retrieved on 2008-04-03.
- ^ Ormerod, George; Thomas Helsby (Ed.) (1882). The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, 2nd, London: George Routledge and Sons, iii: 553.
- ^ Pastscape: Gawsworth Old Hall. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-04-04.
- ^ Pevsner, Nikolaus; Edward Hubbard [1971] (2003). The Buildings of England: Cheshire. New Haven & London: Yale University Press, 223. ISBN 0 300 09588 0.
- ^ Gawsworth Hall Gardens. Visit Cheshire.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-04.
- ^ Pastscape: Monument No. 1063161. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-04-04.
- ^ Images of England: The Gatehouse. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-04-04.
- ^ Images of England: Gatepiers. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-04-04.
- ^ Images of England: Garden walls. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-04-04.
- ^ Images of England: Maggoty Johnson's tomb. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-04-04.
- ^ Welcome. Gawsworth Hall. Retrieved on 2008-04-04.
- ^ Events. Gawsworth Hall. Retrieved on 2008-04-04.
- ^ Weddings. Gawsworth Hall. Retrieved on 2008-04-04.
- ^ Gawsworth Hall open air theatre season. Gawsworth Hall. Retrieved on 2008-04-04.
