Hough Hole House, Cheshire, England

Hough Hole House is a historic house to the northwest of the village of Rainow, Cheshire, England. It dates from about 1660, and was altered and extended in 1796. An engineering works was added in the 1850s, and incorporated into the house during the 20th century. The house is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. In the 19th century gardens were created that are based on John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress. These were designed by the owner, James Mellor, and are known as Mellor's Gardens. The gardens contain a number of listed buildings.

History

The house was built about 1600.[1] In 1796 it was acquired by James Mellor, who was building a cotton mill nearby,[2] and alterations were made to the house at this time.[3] It was altered again in the 1850s by Mellor's son, also called James, who built an adjacent engineering works powered by water from a mill pool.[1] The house continued to be owned by the Mellor family into the 20th century, and in the 1920s it was rented to the Misses Russell, sisters and schoolteachers, who later became the owners.[4] In 1978 the house was bought by Gordon and Ruth Humphries.[5] The new owners carried out a programme of restoration and alterations, which included converting the adjacent works and incorporating it into the house.[4]

Architecture

Hough Hole House is constructed in coursed, buff sandstone rubble. It has a concrete tiled roof and two stone chimneys. The house is in two storeys, and has a near-symmetrical three-bay front. The windows are 20th-century casements with stone lintels. There is a central doorway, above which is a datestone inscribed with JMM (for James Mellor) and the date 1796. Also at the front is a single-storey conservatory. Inside the house are fireplaces dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. The house is designated as a Grade II listed building.[3][a]

Associated features

The house is associated with gardens that were designed by James Mellor, junior, and are known as Mellor's Gardens. They have a religious theme based on John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress.[4] A pathway takes the visitor through and past features included in the book, ending in a two-storey building on a ridge representing the Celestial City on Mount Zion. The gardens are designated at Grade II in the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.[4][b] The gardens contain the following structures that are designated as Grade II listed buildings. Mellor's private chapel dates from 1844,[8] and attached to the chapel is a barn dating from the 17th century.[9] To the north of the chapel is a sundial dating from about 1850.[10] Also in the garden are three pedestal tombs of members of the Mellor family and James Walker.[11][12][13]

Notes and references

Notes

Jump up ^ Grade II listed buildings are "of national importance and special interest". The incorporated former engineering works is excluded from the designation.[3][6]
Jump up ^ Grade II listing is given to "sites of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve them".[7]
Citations ^ Jump up to: a b Hartwell et al. (2011), p. 551 Jump up ^ Turner (1987), p. 157 ^ Jump up to: a b c Historic England, "Hough-hole House, Rainow (1136725)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 15 June 2014 ^ Jump up to: a b c d Historic England, "Mellor's Gardens (1001284)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 15 June 2014 Jump up ^ Groves (2004), p. 137 Jump up ^ Listed Buildings, Historic England, retrieved 27 March 2015 Jump up ^ Definition: Grade II, Historic England, retrieved 27 March 2015 Jump up ^ Historic England, "Private Chapel at Hough-hole House, Rainow (1329964)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 15 June 2014 Jump up ^ Historic England, "Barn attached to Chapel at Hough-hole House, Rainow (1329965)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 15 June 2014 Jump up ^ Historic England, "Sundial in Hough-hole House gardens, 6m north of Chapel, Rainow (1138955)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 15 June 2014 Jump up ^ Historic England, "Pedestal tomb of Rachel Mellor, James Mellor jnr. and others in Hough-hole House gardens, Rainow (1312640)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 15 June 2014 Jump up ^ Historic England, "Pedestal tomb of Sarah Mellor and others, Rainow (1236443)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 15 June 2014 Jump up ^ Historic England, "Pedestal tomb of James Walker in Hough-hole House gardens, Rainow (1236444)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 15 June 2014

Sources

Groves, Linden (2004), Historic Parks & Gardens of Cheshire, Ashbourne: Landmark, ISBN 1-84306-124-4 Hartwell, Clare; Hyde, Matthew; Hubbard, Edward; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2011) [1971], Cheshire, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6 Turner, R. C. (1987), "Mellor's Gardens", Garden History (Garden History Society) 15:2, retrieved 15 June 2014