Longley Old Hall      Open days    Visiting      Brief history

Layout of the Hall       The Hall today    Group visits     Archive

THE LATEST NEWS - 

January 2007

We hope the last big dirty job is underway. We have taken up the floors in the back and front halls and to our surprise found the modern concrete went to a depth of about a foot in parts. The task was not made easy by coming across wiring for redundant under-floor heating zig-zagging three or four inches deep. The dust is still settling four weeks after. The amount of effort we put into the work made us indifferent to the possibility of finding the cellar marked on the architect's plan of 1884, and we were delighted when we hit the bedrock and found no trace of it. 

By good fortune we found the foot of the newel post going to the half landing was resting on bedrock and had rotted for about three inches below the floor level. This meant the stair case was in danger of shifting or collapsing. We have built a low pad to support the post and put a layer of DPC between this and the bottom of the post.

Taking up the floor in the rear hall allowed us to lay central heating pipes here and in the lavatory and for the first time this area is now warm. In the front hall we have taken out the horribly inefficient skirting radiators and fitted a plinth heater under the staircase; this allows us more space and greater warmth.

February 2007

The most significant change to the halls come with the laying of flagstones, which should be finished by the end of the month. Taking up the green carpet made us realise how threadbare and inappropriate it was.

The quiet allows us to do many jobs that have been put off from last year, spring cleaning and painting being the main ones. The coping stones and ball finials for the rear wall should arrive from the quarry in a few weeks, and the dry stone walling is finished for the moment in  the front garden and work has started on the retaining wall by the main parking area. The wet weather over the past two months has made the soil unmanageable, so we have done little work to finish the borders in the knot garden.   

April 2007

We stopped for lunch at The Bridge Inn at Ripponden and by chance saw an advert for Brian Brook, a stone mason specialising in fireplaces. His showroom was close by so we called in to see his work.

May 2007

After many years of waiting we now have a new fireplace in the dining room in the dining room. Brian Brook made the fireplace from a photograph sent to us by Sizergh Castle.

June 2007

The coping stones for the rear wall arrived from the quarry and are now in place

July 2007

Heavy rain has  battered the plants in the knot and even trimming has not improved their appearance.

The ball finials are now in place on the rear gate posts.

November 2007

The old house still has the capacity to produce surprises. Whilst removing wallpaper from the wall of the NE chamber we found a number of hollow areas in the plaster. We had thought this room was rebuilt in Victorian times and we were delighted to find lime hair plaster under a skim of later of work. At the hollow areas the plaster had deteriorated due to water problems many years ago, so we chipped some of it away and found an oak window lintel made from what looked like part of a wall plate. Underneath we made out the stone infill that must have been made in the 19th C.

Much of the old plaster is in poor condition and will have to come off the walls, but we'll keep as much as we can. Due to the expected mess further exploration will have to wait until the New Year.

January and February 2008

We keep saying "This will be the last dirty job". We hope the renovation work to the NE chamber is the last time we have to use the expression. The work proved more messy and more prolonged than we expected - one of the joys of living in an old house! A long term overflow in a valley gutter had rotted a couple of joists in the NE corner and these and part of the ceiling needed replacing. The dampness had weakened plaster on the walls in the corner and more needed replacing than we had thought. By pouring a slurry of lime plaster behind the damage material we were able to keep most of it in place.

Removing gloss paint from some areas proved to be another challenge and cause of delay and frustration. We also had to tackle the awful black gunge that had been smeared on a pine beam and an ancient oak window lintel; the result is not brilliant, but at least we managed to reveal the grain of the wood. The old lintel we found in November had not suffered the same fate as it had been covered by plaster.

All that remains now is to paint the room. We found an attractive tint in lime wash on one of the walls and will try and have it replicated.

March and April 2008

After finding the water damage in the NE chamber we had roofs of the hall and stables examined. It was just as well, for we much of the lead in the valley gutters at the hall needed replacing (according to the roofers lead had tripled in price in a year!) and we found a leak in the stable roof. All the work is finished.

We have had a major sorting out in the barn, into which we have stored all sorts of odd bits over the years. A great deal went into a large skip. Tucked away in the eaves of the hay loft we discovered a number of ancient oak floor boards, which we shall put to good use. Also pine floor boards, numerous pine joists and two "Road Closed" signs came to light from under the cobwebs and filth. We need to do a bit of re-wiring and will paint the downstairs walls and ceiling.

A perennial excuse for not tackling the garden is the state of the weather. We have made a few attempts to tidy it, but as we write snow is falling and we are destined to have another weekend indoors.