Longley Old Hall Brief history Visiting
LAYOUT OF THE HALL
The Hall faces South towards Castle Hill. By Tudor times the house formed what is known as an "H Plan" house, that is one with two cross wings joined by a central hall. There is evidence that the wings were built in the 14th C and an open hall added later. We don't know whether this new hall replaced an earlier hall or was built to link two medieval houses. In its original form it would have been timber framed and although much of this remains inside, the external impression is of a stone house of the early 17th century. The 1854 Ordnance Survey map shows an "L" shaped building and the extension on the back of the West wing must have been demolished between then and 1884.
We do not know when the building was clad in stone, but this was done most probably towards the end of Elizabeth's reign or in the early years of the reign of James I. At that time in-laws of the Ramsden family called Appleyard were tenants. The rear rooms of each wing were removed and at the front the central part of the hall was pushed forward so that the present rectilinear shape came about. During the 1885 restoration re-cladding took place on he side walls, but Elizabethan walls remain underneath.
Dining room
Entering from the lane by the porch door in the East wing, the first room is the Dining Room. It has the appearance of a plain 16/17th century room, and at one time was part of the kitchen and service rooms. Within some of the walls are the remains of a structure some 200 or 300 years older. Originally, the wing would have had a another room to the north.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries this room was used as the parish room at the time the curate of Longley lived in the Hall.
Morning room
This also formed part of the service rooms, but in common with fashion at the time of the upgrade in 1544 its use became more high status. It has fine oak beams and joists with stop chamfers. The Tudor or Elizabethan oak panelling is believed to be original to the house, but was moved here from other parts of the hall in 1885. William Ramsden's Commonplace Book of 1544 mentions him buying timber from the Manor of Tadcaster (where he held the office of Woodward) to repair his house at Longley.
The recently discovered Elizabethan window seat is too high for comfortable sitting. At some time (maybe during alterations in the early 18thC) the floor was lowered.
Front Hall
Before the 16th/17th century alterations much of the space was outside the building, forming the open space made by the legs of the "H". Archaeologists found evidence of a timber-framed porch. Note the width of the medieval timbers in the wall - this is known as close studding and the wood is wider than the gaps indicating high status.
The upper wall plate indicates the eaves height of the original wing. We have found evidence that indicates the builders raised of the walls and built the new roof before taking down the earlier one.
Drawing room
This has oak beams and panelling. We removed the two painted panels and re-positioned them in the back hall. They are a painted quotation from an epistles of Peter, but in a pre King Jame's translation. The fixing of the panels and frame have been identified as late Elizabethan or early Jacobean.
We believe these panels may be remains of a series that were fixed around the open hall.
Rear Hall
Evidence of the cross passage remains. There is also a re-positioned oak post holding up the roof following the insertion of the first staircase. In the cloakroom a wooden door lintel from the late 14thC remains in the wall.
East wing upstairs (not open to the public)
These rooms were most probably weaving workshops at some point.
Whilst repairing the ceiling in one of the bedrooms we found the plaster on the outside walls is much earlier than we expected as it contains lime and hair. We discovered a blocked up window that used part of an earlier tie beam as a lintel. None of this work appears in the external wall.
The assumption at the time of the archaeological survey was the whole wall had been rebuilt during the 1885 restoration, but it now seems only the rebuilding of the external wall place. We now conclude the internal walls date to the time of the late Elizabethan alterations.
Blocked window and a
medieval tie
beam used as a lintel in a bedroom in
the E wing (January 2008)
Main bathroom
The room forms part of the roof space of open hall. The first evidence of the real age of hall came to light on the second day after we moved in.
Kitchen chamber
We found two roof trusses under plaster partitioning. Part of the timber framing of west wing was found in a void. The laths used to hold the plaster are beech and pine barrels staves. We have had these dated to the 15thC and 16thC respectively.
Main bedroom
This has vernacular timberwork inserted during the 16th/17th century to support the new front wall.
West wing - upper hall - the solar
This room contains medieval timber dating from the 14thC. It has a collared rafter roof with queen struts, a type of construction unusual in the highland areas of the West Riding, but common in lowland towns such as Shrewsbury and York. The steepness of the roof may indicate it was thatched originally. Doubt remains as to whether the original building had a floor. A four-poster bed now hides the doorway that led into the demolished rear room.
Ralph Bevis 2007
The room has numerous "witch marks". An historian identified these as vernacular versions of the "snake and rod badges" used by medical services. Three on roof trusses indicate the position of a smoke vent for an open fire. We think the present chimney was built as part of the Elizabethan alterations.
The Victorian kitchen
The long and thick oak boards in the ceiling may have been the original floor of the wing. They are rare in West Yorkshire and survived because they were covered by lath and plaster below and two later floor levels above.
Snug
We have stoned up the old doorway discovered some years ago, but left a viewing hatch. Inside the hatch, to the left is a main post of the wing and to the right the wall is plastered in the void with the remains of a fireplace - not visible, unfortunately.
Ralph Bevis 2007
Kitchen
We have now fitted the early 19th C style kitchen units.
Ralph Bevis 2007
Back cellar
The cellar has a barrel vaulted ceiling and is cut out of the bedrock.
Roof space
The plastered walls in the lofts show the upper rooms had ceilings fitted in the Victorian period, most probably in the restoration of 1885. The E wing has two blocked windows that do not appear in the outside wall.
Blocked window in E wing roof space (January 2008)
External Buildings
The barn, stables and garage date from the 1970s. The previous owners bred horses and demolished the old stables to provide modern facilities.