Photograph - Mono (Document ID: 102008)

Exterior and interior shots of Kershaw House, Luddenden Foot, West Yorkshire.

p1: Exterior of Kershaw House, showing rose window and porch.

p2: Interior showing a fireplace said to be the work of Robert Adam.

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.

Kershaw House is dated early 14th century, originally known as Kirkeschawe, meaning Church Copse. In the 16th century the house was owned by cloth manufacturer John Beaumont. The date 1650 over the porch refers to the renovation carried out at that time on the original Elizabethan dwelling. The present building was built as a present in 1650 by James Murgatroyd to his son Thomas and his wife Anna. Features Murgatroyd incorporated in to the building included a rose window over the porch, and the Oratory window.

The House was converted in to a domestic house in the early part of the 20th century. The house is now an inn [2003] and is a Grade I Listed Building. The following is from Calderdale Council's Listed Buildings 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 * 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.

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