Architecture

This post, the ninth in the series detailing the rooms and contents of Middleton Hall as described in the 1676 inventory, focuses on the rooms named as “Lady Barnard’s Chamber” and “The Old Lady’s Chamber”. Lady Barnard was the mother of the Emma Barnard who was the widow of Francis Willughby and had married Sir Josiah Child on 22nd August 1676. Emma’s parents were Sir Henry Barnard and Emma Charlton. It is unknown when Lady Barnard died but it is known that she was still ali

This post, the eighth in the series detailing the rooms and contents of Middleton Hall as described in the 1676 inventory, focuses on the rooms named as “Frank’s Chamber”, “Chamber Over Against Frank’s Man’s” and two areas called “Space Before The Nursery”. There is no Frank’s Man’s Chamber nor any nurseries specifically listed in the inventory. Thus, this is confirmation that the list of rooms in the inventory was incomplete. Frank was Francis Willoughby, the eldest son of F

This post, the seventh in the series detailing the rooms and contents of Middleton Hall as described in the 1676 inventory, focuses on the room named as Lady Child’s Chamber. This room can unquestionably be identified as the chamber of Emma Barnard, the widow of Francis Willughby FRS. She married Sir Josiah Child on 22nd August 1676. Thus, the name of this room conclusively dates the inventory to after that date. Interestingly, considering this inventory was made when the hou

This post, the sixth in the series detailing the rooms and contents of Middleton Hall as described in the 1676 inventory, focuses on the rooms named as “The Master’s Chamber Hung” and “The Study to The Master’s Chamber”. The unanswerable question is whether this room had been occupied after the death of Francis Willughby in 1672, who was the last Master of the house, and the time of this inventory. As mentioned in the previous post on the Red Chamber and Old Study, in this e

This post, the fifth in the series detailing the rooms and contents of Middleton Hall as described in the 1676 inventory, focuses on the rooms named as “The Red Chamber” and “The Old Study”. Both of these rooms were mentioned in the previous post on The Chapel, having been entered on the inventory list either side of “The Space Into The Chapel”. As a result, it is thought that these rooms may have been situated close to where the 1391 Chapel was located on the north side of M

This post, the fourth in the series detailing the rooms and contents of Middleton Hall as described in the 1676 inventory, focuses on the “The Chapel” and “The Space Into The Chapel”. Although these areas are named with what should have been an easily identifiable title, there is a considerable lack of certainty over their precise locations. Today, it is known that Middleton Hall only ever contained one private chapel, which was located centrally on the north side of the Hall

This post, the third in the series detailing the rooms and contents of Middleton Hall as described in the 1676 inventory, focuses on the room identified as “The Garret”. At this time, Middleton Hall had only one building with a garret. Today, it would be referred to as the attic of the John Ray Building. When the John Ray Building was constructed in 1647, it included a new architectural feature that had only been introduced to England in the mid-17th century. This was the cre

This post, the second in the series detailing the rooms and contents of Middleton Hall as described in the 1676 inventory, focuses on the three rooms named as “Mr Ray’s Chamber”, “Mr Ray’s Study” and “The Room Betwixt Mr Ray’s and The Still Chamber”. These are the only rooms that specifically mention John Ray by name. The fact that he is named is one of the reasons that the inventory is believed to date from about 1676, which was when he left Middleton Hall. John Ray resided

Over the centuries, many inventories of Middleton Hall have been conducted. These were normally taken upon the death of an owner. One inventory, although being undated, is believed to date to just after Emma, the widow of Francis Willughby, married Sir Josiah Child on 22nd August 1676. It was unquestionably taken before 1687, which was when a further inventory was taken upon the clearance of certain items from Middleton Hall by Francis and Emma’s children. The inventory would

The Stone Building is the oldest surviving structure at Middleton Hall. Documentary evidence and architectural features date this structure to between 1247 and 1285. One of its most noted original features is its barrel-vaulted roof and many of the roof’s timbers have been identified as 13th century. Given the structural alterations that occurred at Middleton Hall over the centuries, it is fair to describe its survival as miraculous. The 5th October 2026 is World Architecture

The 26th September is European Day of Languages and, to mark this, this blog will give a brief history of Middleton Hall in Welsh. Welsh is an important language in the history of Middleton Hall. For centuries, the Willoughby family were Welsh speakers due to their business interactions with the Welsh. Many of their servants were also native Welsh speakers and, as a result, Welsh words are present throughout the Middleton Manuscripts. Furthermore, it is known that Francis Wil

At Middleton Hall, there is an old plaque on a wall that says “Chints Room”. It is located on the north wall of the ground floor lobby on the western side of the Jettied Building. The plaque was in this location when Middleton Hall Trust was formed in 1980 and it is the only old room name sign that is present at Middleton Hall. Chints Room plaque in Jettied Building lobby at Middleton Hall, 2021. Photograph taken by Joanna Habart. Before 1721, the area where the plaque is loc

The 25th July is World Drowning Prevention Day. This awareness day seemed an opportune time to tell the cautionary tale of a knight who drowned in the moat at Middleton Hall and illustrates the necessity of learning about S.A.F.E. (Stay Away From the Edge), as the Canal & River Trust advises. The moat at Middleton Hall is deceptive because it is very deep. Middleton Hall Trust excavated it to a depth of more than three metres without reaching the bottom. In the 16th century,

The manufacture of iron at Middleton Hall was begun by Sir Francis I Willoughby in about 1572. It went through three stages of development as Sir Francis experimented with the technology. The industrial production of iron at Middleton Hall continued throughout Sir Francis’ lifetime but ended shortly after his death due to unprofitability. Bar of raw pig iron discovered buried beneath Courtyard Centre at Middleton Hall. Photograph taken 2017 by Debbie Jordan. It is reputed tha

Middleton Pool provided numerous commercial opportunities at Middleton Hall. One of the less well-known activities was the sale of the ice that formed on it. Few records of this activity at Middleton Hall have survived. The primary evidence of it is from testimonies from members of the de Hamel family, who remembered it being undertaken at the start of the 20th century. It is known with certainty that this industrial activity ceased in the latter years of the de Hamel tenancy

July is Independent Retailer Month, which is a nationwide campaign to celebrate small, independent shops. When Middleton Hall Trust renovated the small farm buildings to the east of the Tudor Barn, it was decided that the structures would be converted into small business units and let to independent retailers. This project was awarded the Norah Marshall Award by the Rural Development Commission for its contribution to providing employment in rural areas. The businesses that o

The Stone Building is the oldest surviving building at Middleton Hall and was constructed in about 1285. This structure replaced an earlier timber-framed structure on the same site, the foundations of which remain today. However, over the eras extra doorways were added and removed, not all of them obvious today. Stone Building at Middleton Hall, showing the west wall before restoration revealing location of four doorways (2 bricked up), 2007. Photograph taken by Audrey Bagby.

When the Middleton Estate was sold at auction in 1924, two cottages, known as the Dog Kennel Cottages, were within the boundaries of Lot 1 that included Middleton Hall. These Cottages were located in a single piece of land that covered an area about 1 rood and 6 perches (0.12 hectares). They were located to the south of Middleton Hall and just to the north of Coneybury Farm, on the southernmost edge of the Lot and the southernmost edge of Middleton Park. In 1924, Lord Middlet

When the Middleton Estate was sold at auction in 1924, Lot 61 contained all the six cottages of Church Row in Middleton Village. These Cottages were located in a single piece of land that covered an area of about 1 acre 3 roods and 3 perches (0.76 hectares). They were directly adjacent to the north of St John the Baptist Church. Map showing in brown Lot 61 "Church Row Cottages" in Middleton Village, from the Auction Catalogue of the Middleton Estate, 1924. In the auction cata

To mark the anniversary of VE Day, this post will focus on the Anderson Shelters that were constructed at Middleton Hall during the Second World War. In the 1850s the moat had been drained from the north bridge, which created a dry moat. The Anderson Shelters were constructed in the northern part of this dry moat channel. Anderson Shelters were invented in 1939 by William Patterson. He was an engineer who was tasked by Sir John Anderson to develop a small cheap bomb shelter.