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Description: Kershaw House

Address: Kershaw House Luddenden Lane Luddenden Foot Sowerby Bridge Calderdale HX2 6NW

Grade: I

Group detail: Luddenden Lane (west side), Luddenden Foot

Full description:
House now pub. Early-mid C17, largely rebuilt mid C17 (dated 1650), for the Murgatroyd family. Thin coursed stone, stone slate roof. 3 parallel ranges running west-east, the right-hand (north) range the earliest, formerly a cross-wing to a hall replaced by the 2 other ranges. The left-hand (southern) range is less deep and in the angle formed at the rear is a 2-storey porch. 2-storeys 3 x 3 gabled bays. Chamfered plinth, with break between the 2 southern and the northern ranges; quoins and transomed double chamfered mullion windows with king mullions throughout. Main (east) front: gabled 2-storey porch between left hand bays. Left bay: 9-light under 6-light window; gutter spout at left angle. Porch: wave-moulded plinth; round-arched doorway with heavily moulded surround, imposts, inner stone benches and stop-chamfered Tudor arched inner doorway; cyma moulded string rising above doorway to enclose date plaque inscribed '1650/TM AM' (Thomas and Anna Murgatroyd); 1st floor wheel window with trefoil-headed lights, sunk spandrels, leaded lights and decorative-stopped hood mould; gutter spouts, projecting at right-angles from each return; moulded coping finials. Central bay: 12-light under 9-light window. Right bay, projecting: 6 light window on each floor, blocked C19 doorway on right; gutter spout on left and at right corner; to left return a cross-window on each floor. All 3 bays have string continued from porch, 1st-floor dripmoulds, that to right bay with decorative stops, and moulded coping and finials to gables. Corniced double stack between left-hand bays. Rear: left bay has C20 single-storey addition, not of interest, and 6-light 1st floor window; central bay a 9-light under 6-light window, right bay, set back, a 3-light window to left and on 1st floor a 6-light window to right of C19 doorway; continuous moulded string, 1st floor dripmoulds, gable coping and finials, corniced stack between left hand bays. Left return: left bay set back and with gabled porch which has shallow Tudor-arched doorway with chamfered surround, scallop-patterned lintel, inner stone benches and similar inner doorway with studded board door; above doorway a cross-window with dripmould, to left of porch a 3-light window on each floor, 1st-floor window without transom. Central bay: a 6-light window to each floor; gutter spout to left corner. Right bay: 9-light under 6-light window. Coping and finials to all gables. Right return: left bay: a blocked cross-window on left of blocked C19 doorway and window with 6-light window above. Central bay: central shallow segmental arched doorway with moulded surround, scalloped lintel, 3-light window to left and cross-window to right; on 1st floor a 6-light window having oculus with moulded cill and dripmould to its right. Right bay: projecting C20 single-storey extension not of interest; to its left are 4-lights of a formerly wider window; 6-light window above. All 3 bays have 1st-floor dripmoulds and gable coping and finials. Ridge stack between left hand bays. Interior: central hall has large, cyma-moulded, basket-arched fireplace, with arch and cornice above, cyma-stopped chamfered spine-beams, and large-scantling cross-beam above fireplace. 1st floor: roof timbers exposed. Between central and right wings a 2-bay truss (running east-west) with king post and studs. Central wing: front area has massive tie beam with seatings of joists; 2 principal rafters trusses having short king posts on arch-braced collars with longitudinal braces to ridge piece; in rear room a similar truss, but with the principles supported on brackets at wall-plate level tenoned into braces from wall posts to principal, another, collared, truss against rear wall. Left wing: one wall post remains, supporting central tie-beam with soffit grooved to take former partition and with mortice for former post. The timbering in the left wing possibly indicates the former existance of a timber-framed building. In the first half of C17 the Kershaw House Estate was owned by James Murgatroyd (who in 1634 built East Riddlesden Hall, Keighley, which is stylistically very similar to Kershaw House). In his will of 1653 he bequethed Kershaw House to his youngest son, Thomas, who re-edified the building and whose initials are over the main doorway. 'Antiquarians at Midgley, Kershaw House, Brearley Hall and Luddenden Church, Halifax Antiquarian Society, Vol1, 1902, Saturday 10 May. RCHM(E) report (31448). L Ambler, The Old Halls and Manor Houses of Yorkshire 1913.