Willington Hall is a former country house in the

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

of Willington, Cheshire, England. It was extended in 1878, but reduced in size in the 1950s, and has since been in use as a hotel.

History

The house was built in 1829 by Major William Tomkinson on land purchased in 1827 from Lord Alvanley. Designed by

Nantwich Nantwich ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. It has among the highest concentrations of listed buildings in England, with notably good examples of Tudor and Georgian architecture. ...

architect George Latham, in 1878 a new east front was added for William's son James Tomkinson. At the same time a new wing and stable blocks were added, and in the 1920s a laundry block was built. Although it escaped the fate of the

destruction of country houses in 20th-century Britain The destruction of country houses in 20th-century Britain was the result of a change in social conditions: many country houses of varying architectural merit were demolished by their owners. Collectively termed by several authors "the lost hous ...

, during the 1950s it was reduced in size, removing the 1878 east front and some of the outbuildings. In 1955 a portico was added, and it has since been in use as a hotel. The house is recorded in the

National Heritage List for England The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is England's official database of protected heritage assets. It includes details of all English listed buildings, scheduled monuments, register of historic parks and gardens, protected shipwrecks, a ...

as a designated Grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

Architecture

Willington Hall is constructed in orange brick with buff

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

dressings and a Welsh slate roof. The brickwork is decorated with

diapering Diaper is any of a wide range of decorative patterns used in a variety of works of art, such as stained glass, heraldic shields, architecture, and silverwork. Its chief use is in the enlivening of plain surfaces. Etymology For the full etymolo ...

in blue brick. The architectural style is described as Jacobean, or Neo-Elizabethan. The building is square in plan, plus a wing to the north. It has two storeys and an attic. The façades are symmetrical The garden front faces south and consists of three bays. The lateral bays contain canted

bay window A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room. Types Bay window is a generic term for all protruding window constructions, regardless of whether they are curved or angular, or ...

s and have shaped

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

s. The windows are

mullion A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid supp ...

ed and transomed. The entrance bay faces east and also has three bays, the lateral bays having triangular gables. At the front of the central bay is a porch with four Tuscan columns.

Associated structures

There are two structures associated with the hall that are also Grade II listed buildings. The first is a sundial in the garden dating from about 1830 and constructed in ashlar buff sandstone. The other consists of the south and east walls of the terrace, that are also in sandstone.

References

{{Reflist, 30em

External links

Hotel website
Country houses in Cheshire Houses completed in 1829 Grade II listed buildings in Cheshire Hotels in Cheshire Tudor Revival architecture in England Grade II listed hotels Country house hotels 1829 establishments in England

History

Architecture

Associated structures

See also

References

External links