The Wortley Hall Estate - Part 1

 

The boiler house chimney in the walled garden

Continuing my exploration of its historic architecture, during my day out to Wortley, having photographed various buildings on Halifax Road and Sheffield Road, I headed off towards Wortley Hall and stopped briefly at Top Lodge, which is Grade II listed for its group value. 

 

Views of Top Lodge

 

It was built in the mid C19 for the Wortley Hall estate and Historic England (HE) describe it as having a Westmorland slate roof; however, it was largely obscured by vegetation and I couldn’t get a clear view of it, but from my photos it seems to be another example of the use of yellowish Grenoside Sandstone. 

 

The gatepiers at the south-west end of The Avenue

Next on my British Listed Buildings Photo Challenge were the Grade II listed early C19 Grenoside Sandstone gatepiers, which are decorated with festoons, and the attached railings at the south-west end of The Avenue. 

 

A festoon on the southern gatepier

 

Further along The Avenue is a row of single storey bothies that are attached to the north-west wall of the kitchen garden (1797), which presumably accomodated estate workers and the gardeners, but have since been converted into two private residences. 

 

The single storey cottages and boiler house chimney on The Avenue

Chimney Cottage and Mushroom Cottage, neither of which are listed buildings, are separated by the chimney to the old boiler house, which once heated several greenhouses in the garden. This also fed steam through hollows in some of the brick walls, against which fruit or vegetables that fully satisfied the needs of Wortley Hall were presumably growing. 

 

Mushroom Cottage

 

At the north-east end of The Avenue is another set of Grade II gatepiers and attached railings, which mark the entrance to the gardens of Wortley Hall and are described by HE as being “emphasized by frieze paterae and large ball finials”. 

 

Gatepiers at the north-east end of The Avenue

 

Before entering the gardens, I firstly took a couple of photos of the early C19 Swift Cottage and Garvins Cottage, which are attached to the outbuilding to the rear right of the stable block and are now let out as holiday cottages. 

 

Swift Cottage and Garvin Cottage

 

Although the early C19 stable block, which HE consider was probably built to designs by John Carr, had already been photographed by someone else, I took a single record photograph of the rear elevation and, once inside the gardens, a couple more of the front elevation. 

 

Views of the stable block

 

The next building on my Photo Challenge was the outbuilding to the rear left of the stable block, which has a hayloft within it and, on the right hand side, part of it has been converted to Gardeners Cottage – another property on the estate that is let out as a holiday cottage. 

 

The outbuilding to the rear left of the stable block

 

Making my way back to the main drive, I immediately noted how well the informal gardens are maintained and I later discovered that this work is undertaken by three full time gardeners and several volunteers. Before reaching the house, I stopped to photograph a mounting block which, unlike many others that I have seen on my travels, is not listed but forms an interesting feature. 

 

A mounting block

 

My first views of  the Grade II* listed Wortley Hall were the rear parts of the west wing (1784-1788), by John Platt and completed under John Carr, and the east service wing (1757-1761) by Matthew Brettingham  with HE citing George and John Platt as masons/executive architects.

A view along the east side of Wortley Hall