THE origin of the hall house stems from house-naming conventions in Anglo-Saxon times, explains the team at traditional interior-joinery and kitchen-maker Artichoke. ‘The original hall buildings were meeting places and they usually consisted of four walls, a roof and a single hearth around which to gather. Because of the fire, they usually had very high ceilings, which were often later filled in with floors.’
During the high Middle Ages, great halls existed within every kind of residence, from palaces and castles to merchant houses and farms. In Kent, where there was a strong tradition of timber building, it’s estimated that 2,500 hall houses survive, dating from between 1370 and the 16th century, according to Historic England. One of the best preserved is Penshurst Place near Tonbridge, which illustrates the classic features of a high medieval great hall.
The addition of further floors with rooms and extensions beyond often renders the medieval hall house unrecognisable today— if any of the original building has survived at all. However, the name lived on long after great halls ceased to be a defining feature of the English country house and a manor house is still often called ‘The Hall’, in reference to the chamber that was once the main architectural symbol of the household.
Denne historien er fra April 05, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra April 05, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
