Lower Hall, Norland

Exterior and interior shots of Lower Old Hall, Norland Town Road, Norland, West Yorkshire.

p1: Exterior of Lower Old Hall.

p2: Coloured plasterwork relief of royal coat of arms and inscription above the main fireplace - 'FEARE GOD HONOUR THE KINGE'.

These photographs were amongst those published between June 1949 and July 1950 in 'Notable Houses of West Yorkshire', a
weekly series of articles in 'The Yorkshire Observer'. The photographs were taken by the author, John Y. Stapleton, during the above period.

Built in 1634 for Gearge and Elizabeth Taylor, the house was split into three dwellings about 1900. The middle dwelling was used as the Norland village post office until the 1950s, hence the postbox in the exterior photo. Much modernised inside in the mid-1900s.

Norland Lower Old Hall is still standing [2003] and is a Grade II* Listed Building. The following is from Calderdale Council's Listed Building description:

House, rear wing now separate cottage. 1634 for George Taylor. Coursed squared stone, stone slate roof. T-shaped; 2 storeys, 3 gabled bays, right one with basement; central rear wing. Left bay set forward; 2-storey porch between right-hand bays. Chamfered plinth; double chamfered mullion and transom windows; continuous moulded string. Left bay: a 6-light window with king mullion to each floor, upper one having hoodmould with rounded terminals flanked by letters 'G' 'T'. Central bay: 9-light window with 8-light window under dripmould above, both with king mullions. Porch: moulded Tudor-arched doorway with lintel dated '1634' GET (George and Elizabeth Taylor) and with 3 wool sacks; flanking columns have kinked fluting and bases with lozenges and support entablature; above, a moulded pedestal and 3-light window under dripmould flanked by gutter spouts; parapet gabled over window; on first floor of left return a trefoil light and of right return a chamfered light; inside, stone benches and moulded Tudor-arched inner doorway. Right bay: basement (possibly originally a wool shop) has steps down to Tudor-arched doorway on left of 3-light window; single chamfered 3-light ground floor window; above, a 5-light window under hoodmould with heart stops and date '16' '34'. Gables have moulded coping and finials. Corniced stack to ridges of left bay and double one between right-hand bays. Rear: main range: plinth and string continued. Left bay has a 2-light window, right bay a 2-light window to left of 3-light window, now door, with a 2-light and 3-light window above. Right return: plinth and string continued. In gable of main range a small double chamfered light to first floor. Wing, from left: an ogee-arched doorway; an inserted doorway; a 6-light window (2 mullions removed); a blocked inserted doorway. On first floor an inserted window; a gutter spout, and a 5-light window (2 mullions removed). Stack to right end. Attached barn on right, converted to house not of interest. Interior: central house body: the main feature is the Tudor-arched moulded ashlar fireplace with Carolean baluster-like motifs under stylised heads to jambs, heavily-moulded cornice, frieze reading 'FEARE GOD HON- OUR THE KINGE', moulded cornice and elaborate plaster overmantel with royal arms and wording 'DIEU ET MON DROIT 1635 T G E' flanked by caryatids under grotesque heads, cherubs and the arms of the Bishops of Canterbury and Earls of Derby. Also noteworthy are the 5 Tudor-arched and basket-arched chamfered doorways and two 6-panel doors with linenfold panelling; the frieze on two walls with cherubs, pregnant women over lions' heads and pomegranates; and the stop-chamfered spine-beams and moulded joists. In the left hand room (parlour) are a square-headed fireplace with deep moulded lintel, the Royal arms (initialled (C- R), the Derby arms and other motifs above it, and stop-chamfered moulded spine-beams and joists. The room behind this (service room) has stop-chamfered spine-beams and joists. Stone stair. In Lower Old Hall Cottage (the kitchen) a large chamfered Tudor-arched fireplace. On first floor (of Hall) a stop-chamfered doorway to rear wing (blocked) and 2 other doorways, into the front left room which has a small Tudor-arched moulded fireplace with plasterwork of pomegranate tree above, and into the central room which has a chamfered Tudor-arched fireplace. Roof timbers not visible except for base of purlins. L Ambler, (The Old Halls and Manor House of Yorkshire), 1913. H P Kendall, 'Ancient Halls of Norland', (Halifax Antiquarian Society), Vol 2, 1904, pp 93-111. RCHM(E) report (31464).

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