| Description | Former site of Boothtown Hall, a fifteenth century L plan house situated 1.5 miles north of Halifax on the western side of Pepper Hill. The house was aligned northwest to southeast with a service bay at the northwestern end, an open hall of two bays at the centre, and a three bay residential wing to the southeast (Gilks, 1974, pp.53 4). The house was encased in stone about 1640 (date above door), and at the same time a new suite of rooms was added to the north side between the service bay and the east wing (Gilks, 1974, pp.53 4). The house was converted into tenements in the nineteenth century, at which time the original 17th century windows, fireplaces and chimney stacks were reconstructed, the walls replastered and the floors paved (Gilks, 1974, pp.53 4).
In 1968 the West Riding Archaeological Research Committee carried out a survey of the building prior to its demolition in April of the same year (Further details in Gilks 1974, pp.56 69). Excavation work (in the form of three trenches) was also undertaken in the same year. The three trenches were confined to the service hall and the bays. The results of the excavations suggested that the hall was initially constructed in the 15th century and prior to this structure there was evidence for a further two buildings of thirteenth or fourteenth century date. Beneath the 15th century floor thick sandstone rubble foundation walls of the two structures and a hearth were discovered (Gilks, 1974, pp.73) On and above this floor level, and in association with the hearth was and abundant spread of pottery. Certain of these shards of pottery, according to Gilks (1974, p.73) compared with wares of 'Upper Heaton' type, tentatively dated to the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. In addition to the thirteenth and fourteenth century pottery other finds included fifteenth to sixteenth century pottery, late sixteenth to mid seventeenth century pottery, iron and iron slag (Gilks, 1974, pp. 77 81)
In the seventeenth century a suite of rooms with mullioned and transomed windows were added on the north east side between the service bay to the northwest and the east wing (Gilks, 1974, p.69). About 1850, when the house was converted to tenements, a small rectangular structure of two storeys was constructed at the east corner of the building. At approximately this date the north east, north west, south west and south east walls were all refaced with coursed stone rubble and the seventeenth century windows were replaced (Gilks, 1974, p.69). New doors were inserted and the northeast and the northwest walls were cement rendered (Gilks, 1974, p.69).
The house was demolished in 1968, and part of the site is now (2008) built over, there may, however, be some potential for archaeological remains to be preserved below ground. |