History And Design Architecture Of Little Moreton Hall
During the 13th century, the black death and other natural and manmade disasters meant that much land became available on the market. The Moreton family, powerful local landlords, took advantage of this, and by the 16th century they owned in excess of 1360 acres. The income from this sprawling estate enabled the Moreton family to build Little Moreton Hall. It was by no means a quick process to get the hall to the impressive building we see today. On the contrary, the hall was continually expanded and upgraded for around 100 years!Impressively Little Moreton Hall remained within the Moreton family for its entirety until being donated to National Trust in 1938.
The Moreton family, originally Yeoman farmers, appear to have been very driven & hardworking. Not Noblemen by birth, the family had high aspirations and a desire to climb the social ladder. They married well, and that along with the construction of the hall and purchasing their own coat of arms were able secure a higher social standing. The construction of Little Moreton Hall is said to be down to the succession of four key Moretons. William Moreton I, is responsible for the oldest surviving parts, the Great hall and the East range. William II continued his fathers work, adding a north-west wing and porch. John continued enhancing the hall, extending and decorating the Little parlour and the chapel with stunning wall paintings. William Moreton III added the brew and bake houses. The Highs and extreme lows of the family make a fascinating tale. It is testament to their determination that Little Moreton Hall was owned by a single family for hundreds of years. Entering Little Moreton Hall on the foot bridge over the moat and passing through the Gatehouse, you arrive in the courtyard. From here there is an impressive panoramic view of the hall. The Derbyshire gritstone roof almost groaning in places under its own monumental weight. The building are all sitting slightly off kilter. The reasons for this are that the hall is built on marshland, a very soft foundation! Although it was drained for farming it still gets very wet. Also the long Gallery that runs atop the south range was not a well informed structural decision. These factors give the house its gravity defying, wonky appearance. Decorative carvings adorn the oak frame and bay windows. Quatrefoils, greyhounds, wolves and twisted columns making up some of the detailing. The carpenter Richard Dale has credited himself by carving his name and the date he carried out the work, 1559 along with William Moreton. The sheer amount of glass is intentionally dazzling.
The Medieval Great Hall (dated c1504-1508) is one of the oldest rooms in the house. The windows would have originally been very small with no glass. It would have had an earth floor and an open hearth in the middle of the room with a smoke canopy. *The hall has seen many changes, notably the insertion of an upper floor installed by W. Moreton II in 1559. This modernisation was carried out as the focus of domestic life shifted into smaller, private rooms. During this time two bay glazed windows were also installed and the hearth moved to the back wall. On the east wall of the hall you can see the sawn off timbers from when the upper floor was removed in 1807. The oak panelling on the walls of the hall is all original, still in fantastic condition given it is around 500 years old! There are only a few original pieces of furniture listed on inventories for the house, and one of those sits proudly in the Great Hall. The Board is a long, extremely heavy carved oak table which would have been the hub of the house. The board would not only have been used for dining, but also where the Moretons would have conducted all their business dealings. This is what coined the term Chairman of the board. The heads of house, family, staff and servants would all have dined together in Tudor time, following a peckingorder from end to end.
This comedic quote springs to mind when thinking of the Moretons. There are 30000 leaded panes of glass adorning the building, all differently arranged, showing rectangles, diamonds, circles, squares and lozenges. Much of the glass has been replaced over time, perishing lead and the movement of the building inevitably causing panes to become loose and fall out. When Richard Dale installed the first bay windows in 1559 glass was still rare,. Glazing was a prime status symbol. The amount of glass used on the house was solely to paradethe wealth and good connections of the family. The best flat glass was produced by blowing molten glass into a bubble,snipping it off at the end, then spinning it until it became a flat sheet. Glaziers then pieced together small panes using lead. They followed complex designs that were available in. pattern books. The stained glassin the Great parlour shows the Shield of the Moretons. The great parlour is a large oak panelled room. It is thought that the bay window, elaborate ceiling beams and panelling is the work of Richard Dale, carried out during the 1559 alterations. The cupboard of boxes stands in this room, it is presumed that this piece of furniture would have been used to store the legal documents and rents from the Estate tenants. The round table positioned in the bay window is also listed on archived inventories. It is thought to have been made purposefully for this spot. The chimney breast is something of a wonder in this room. Dated mid 18th century, the plaster royal arms of Elizabeth 1 is proudly displayed. The Moreton family were staunch Royalists. Having been forced to accommodate the Parlimentarian soldiers during the civil war it can only be assumed the Royal over mantel was at some point covered up to keep it hidden and in tact. The little parlour is a historically fascinating part of the house.
After the Moretons left Little Moreton Hall this is said to be the room they used on visits. This could explain why it is the most modernised room in the house. In 1976 whilst doing repairs, the wood panelling in the room was removed. Elaborate decoration painted onto the plaster was found underneath, in parts wallpaper was pasted onto the wall. On further removal of the panelling, a frieze was discovered running around two of the walls just below the ceiling, it tells the story of Susanna and the Elders. Panels like these were common in wealthy homesand showed wealth & education. The parlour has a Georgian windows and a parquetfloor dating back to 1956. The room is now kept in a half light in orderto preserve the decoration. The long Gallery is perched atop the south range. It is thought the gallery was made deliberately narrow for greater effect. The upshot of this decision is that the timber frame underneath is not supporting its weight, causing great movement! Records show Philip Moreton had measured up the roof for repairs in 1658 fairly soon after the room was finished. In the 1890s Elizabeth Moreton inserted tie rods and later in 1979 some steel work done. In 1990 a steel frame was inserted and major structural repairs carried out, taking over 16 months.
The long gallery would have been used for daily exercise and games. The date of the gallery is undetermined. Many factors point to it being an afterthought yet contrary to that structurally it seems that things were put in place to add a third floor from the onset. Whilst it is arguable what date the gallery was begun, it is agreed that all three floors were finished at the same time. The decorative plasterwork at either end of the room is said to be a copy of a design taken from the 1556 edit of ‘The castle of knowledge’. Aside from the rooms already highlighted Little Moreton Hall boasts a brew house and a bake house, corn store and its very own chapel which was added in1504. The chambers to the upper floor continue the off kilter appearance. The national trust are continually preserving and constantly monitoring the movement of the building. In 2012 a survey provided drawings in great detail, so detailed that if needed it could be rebuilt exactly the same today! When the Civil war broke out in 1642 the country was split in support of Charles I and parliament. During this time William Moreton III was arrested, the reason is not recorded but it is felt it was because the family were Monarchists.
To add insult to injury, parliamentary soldiers and their horses were billeted at Little Moreton Hall for periods during the war. This was at great cost to the estate. When William was released in 1643 his estate had been confiscated, forcing him and his son Edward to live elsewhere. Williams daughters were however permitted to rent the estate back from the government for deliberately high amounts which forced them into destitution. By the time the estate was returned to William III they were in debt to the tune of 641. 00 pounds, todays equivalent would be approximately 95000pounds. William had debts when he died in the region of 4000pounds (equivalent 600000pounds today)! The Moretons beliefs during the war had all but ruined them. After the death of their father, The Moreton children never lived as permanent residents of the hall again. With the deaths of Ann 1658, Phillip 1669 & Jane and Edward and his son pursuing careers elsewhere the Hall was rented to tenants for the next 200 years.
During this time the Hall fell into what was described as romantic decay, neither Landlord or tenants maintaining the property properly. In 1892 Elizabeth Moreton inherited the house, thankfully wealthy and determined to restore the house to its former glory. If Elizabeth had not stabilised the South range and the chapel by inserting tie rods it is very probable the building would have collapsed. On her death Elizabeth left the house to her cousin, Bishop Abraham on the condition that the house was never sold. The Bishop was a good choice of heir continued the restoration with the same passion as Elizabeth until the scale of the work was beyond his means. It was at this point (1937) Bishop Abraham offered the Hall to the National Trust. The Trust becoming the fist owner unconnected to the Moreton family since it was built. Little Moreton Hall is so important as it is one of the most authentic Tudor buildings in the country. It had very little alteration for over 200 years meaning it escaped any modernisation. This is the silver lining to the families financial troubles.
Although the Moretons were a wealthy family they were not Noblemen & their political contact during the civil war was disastrous, for these reasons there are very little in terms of archives or records for the house. Described in the Telegraphs Best Tudor sights in England list as “ an endearingly crooked house, one of the most enchanting half timbered houses built by 16th gentry”With approximately 75000 visitors a year it is no wonder this building is considereda Local gem. Many members of the local community volunteer at the hall, and are proud to provide informative family days out. Local schools frequently use the hall for educational day trips, helping to ensure the next generation take pride in their historical surroundings. The national trust celebrate all the main events on the Tudor calendar, including Michaelmas, Hallowtide and Yuletide. Events put on during these celebrations are as historically correct as possible, further engaging not just the local community but historical enthusiasts from all over the country.
