Jump to content

Darnall Hall


Bayleaf

Recommended Posts

This article first appeared in the Notes & Queries section of the transactions of The Hunter Archaeological Society, vol 3 and is reproduced by kind permission of the Society

DARNALL HALL.

Thirty-three years ago Darnall Hall stood in the midst of a spacious garden the colours of which harmonized delightfully with the mellow tones of its walls. Darnall was then a semi-rural suburb of Sheffield. To-day the Hall is closely surrounded by rows of cottages and they and it are alike smoke-grimed and dingy of aspect.

The Hall is a square brick building three storeys in height. It has a stone plinth and square stone pilasters of the Ionic order at each angle rising the full height of the building. The cornice alone of the entablature is carried round the eaves; plain, slightly projecting bands of stone divide the storeys.

Stone architraves surround the windows, those on the south-west, or garden front, have raised fillets, the others are plain. The doorway towards the south-west has a broken segmental pediment supported on carved trusses; that towards the north-east is somewhat simpler but both are good examples of classical design.

The openings on the entrance fronts are in ranges of five, on the returns they are of three; the bay windows on the south-east are comparatively modern. The stone slated roof is steeply pitched, it is crowned by a lead flat.

The plan is simple in arrangement. A wide passage or hall extends through the building from front to back. The principal staircase, leading to the chamber floor only, is at the southern end of the hall; it is of oak and has carved scroll brackets at the ends of the stairs, turned balusters of a good pattern and a substantial handrail.

The room at the north angle of the building was the original kitchen; it still retains the stone arch of the fireplace with smaller arches on either side, probably for the ovens, for the kitchen fire of the early eighteenth century was laid on the hearth or at most in a basket grate; the range was then unknown.

To the south-west of this room is the service staircase, of oak, and communicating with all storeys of the building.

At the west angle is a further room, with panelled walls and a mantel of Adams pattern.

The original arrangement of the opposite side of the building was somewhat similar, two rooms, separated by a narrow store or pantry corresponding with the service staircase. The division walls between these rooms have been removed on both ground and chamber floors so as to form one large room on each storey. The walls of the lower room are still panelled in wood.

The general arrangement of each floor of the building was identical; there was no bath room, and the top floor was entirely devoted to servants' quarters or storerooms.

The photograph shows the building as it was just before the garden was demolished; it was taken by Mr. A. H. Tuck, who has very kindly allowed it to be reproduced.

There was formerly an inscription cast in the leadwork of the roof : it ran as follows :-

This house was built as you may see

In seventeen hundred twenty-three;

This house was built as you may hear

By Samuel Staniforth in one year.

When the Hall was sold by the Staniforth family this inscription was removed and is now on the stable wall at Kirk Hammerton Hall, near York.

Samuel Staniforth was the eldest son of Griffith Staniforth; he was baptized January 26th 1689, died November 15th 1748, and was buried at Attercliffe. He married at Bradfield, on July 19th 1722, Alathea, fifth daughter of Thomas Macro of Bury St. Edmunds.

The compiler of Staniforthiana or Recollections of the Family of Staniforth of Darnall in Yorkshire, gives the following account of the building of the Hall:-

"The house, which at the time of their marriage in 1722, was standing at Darnall, being very old and not sufficiently commodious for the requirements of the young couple, it was decided to pull it down and replace it with a new one. Accordingly the next spring, on the 22nd of April 1723, the foundation stone of a plain, but solid and substantial mansion was laid by Mr. and Mrs. Staniforth, which house is the one now standing at Darnall.

Among the old memoranda of the family in the possession of Miss Elizabeth Younge, the great-grand-daughter of Mr. Samuel Staniforth, is the following note of the laying the first stone, but the writer has not thought fit to put a name to it :-

He laid the first stone and she laid the second (probably meaning Mr. and Mrs. Staniforth) on a back corner, that cellar corner next way (or road) and corner as one goes from my gate to John Spartley's. He gave half-a-guinea and she gave two half -crowns; John Staniforth one shilling, and John has a house fronting this and in the line; it was day, about three o'clock p.m.

The money was doubtless in coins of that year, placed under the foundation stone, as is very commonly done and believed by the poor people to be `Luck Money,' to keep the house from harm and the inhabitants from being bewitched.

The John Staniforth named here was very probably the father of William Staniforth of Norton; he is styled `of Attercliffe,' and died 10th March 1765."

"It is remarkable that this house was built and covered-in in one year, without any rain having fallen during its progress sufficient to interrupt the workmen for one day."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Gramps

Darnall Hall can be seen on this map. Turner lane is approx the line of Staniforth road. The railway bridge in the centre is the one now across the bottom of Prince of Wales road. On the 1903 map it seems to have become the Liberal Club, though I imagine Mr. Staniforth might have been a Tory B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...