Catalogue Finding NumberWYHER/12849
Office record is held atHistorical Environment Record, West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service
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TitleAkroyd House, Wadsworth
DescriptionAkroyd House, Wadsworth. Late 16th century hall house with surviving earlier timber framing and a late17th century cross wing.

'House, late C16 cross wing attached to late C17 hall range replacing an earlier timber framed single storey hall evidence of which still survives. Large dressed stone to wing, smaller coursed stone to hall range. 2 storeys. 3 room through passage plan. T shaped. Service end has 6 light double chamfered mullioned window with 3 light chamfered mullioned window over to 1st floor. Tudor arched doorway has notches taken out of corners of lintel possibly to support timber frame and may be earlier. Housebody has 9 light double chamfered mullioned windows with 4 light chamfered mullioned window over to 1st floor. Some stone gutter brackets. Wing breaks forward and has small chamfered light set in the side wall of wing to 1st floor. South front has double chamfered mullioned windows with ovolo moulded mullions and inner surround. 6 light window with king mullion. Hoodmould with straight return. 5 light window over to 1st floor. Drip mould, over which is small chamfered light to apex. Coped gable with kneelers and crocketed finial to apex (replacement). Inserted C19 doorway to right of ground floor window has monolithic jambs and oak plank door set in Tudor arched frame. Left hand return wall of service end, has 2 light window at mezzanine level. Rear has 6 light window to wing with 3 mullions removed, hoodmould. 4 light window over to 1st floor. Hoodmould. Small chamfered light to apex, (blocked). Coped gable with kneelers and fine crocketed finial a replacement from the demolished White Hall, Ovenden, Halifax. Single storey outshut under catslide roof with main range is late C18 over inserted cellar, but may replace earlier aisle. 4 light window lacks 2 mullions. Set back is main range with through passage doorway with monolithic lintel and chamfered surround, small light over. Right hand return wall has double chamfered mullioned windows with plain chamfered mullions of 3 lights to ground floor and same over to 1st floor which has to either side 2 light window. All windows to front and nearly all to wing have small paned leaded lights with metal casement openers. Large stack to hall range backs on to through passage. One other stack to ridge of wing though it had a lateral extruded stack now gone.
Interior: Housebody has 4 painted glass panels thought to be C16, one has initials 'A E', another an elaborate merchants mark and 2 heraldic. To dais end of hall 2 fine Tudor arched doorways with deeply sunken spandrels and richly moulded surround. Roof line of earlier single storey building on wing wall. Many re used timbers with ½ lap joints indicate it may have had a cruck framed hall. Wing has finest carved ceiling in the Upper Calder Valley with finely reeded spine beam, floor joists and head beam to panelled wall with board and muntin panelling in which is set oak Tudor arched doorway. Some panelling over to 1st floor set in soffit of tie beam of open king post truss with 14 'V' struts. Stop chamfered purlins. A fine example of a yeoman clothiers house with a classic through passage and hall and cross wing plan (Stell, C.F. 1960. 'Vernacular Architecture in a Pennine Community'. Pages 60 and 76).
(English Heritage listed building description. Date listed 01/11/1966. Date amended 12/12/1984. http://list.english heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1226935. Web site accessed 14/10/2013).

Akroyd House was the subject of an archaeological assessment in 1982 probably as part of the WYAAS/RCHME Rural Houses Survey (Column Giles?). The photographic images produced by the assessment are held by WYAAS (WYAS/RCHME. 1982). The hall was also assessed by Peter Thornborrow (WYAAS) c.1985 90, these photographs are also held by WYAAS (Thornborrow, P. H. (WYAS). c.1985 90).
Date21st century
Extentcontact the West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service for information on what is available
LevelItem
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