SALFORD HUNDRED 



DEANE 



the old one, the original ridge-line being retained. 48 

 A floor was probably also inserted, but the hall is now 

 open to the roof for a little more than half its length 

 at the east end, the present floor being over the 

 screens and the first bay beyond a distance of about 

 1 6 ft. From the evidence of the timber framing of 

 the roof and screens the hall would appear to have 

 been erected during the first half of the 1 5th cen- 

 tury, 43 and therefore before the Bartons came to 

 Smithills, but the original timber-framed walls seem 

 to have been rebuilt in stone about a century later. 

 The walls have been again largely rebuilt in recent 

 times and are about 3 ft. thick to their original height, 

 above which they are set back on the inside. All the 

 windows are modern, replacing older square-headed 

 ones of plainer type. The screens are at the west 



of the principal spring. The roof (which is about 

 2 7 ft. to the ridge) is divided into five bays of un- 

 equal size, the disposition of the principals giving a 

 short bay at each end (6 ft. over screens and 4 ft. 

 over dais), and in the centre, with larger bays of 

 8 ft. between. The two central coupled principals 

 probably indicate the presence of a louvre, as there is 

 no fireplace in the hall or sign of there having been 

 one. The timbers of the roof are very massive and 

 plain, the chief ornament consisting of shaped wind 

 braces forming quatrefoil panelling along the whole 

 length. At the east end of the room the original 

 timber construction of the wall behind the dais remains, 

 but the dais and canopy over have disappeared. The 

 roof over the short eastern bay is modern. The 

 whole of the wall west of the screens preserves its 



SMITHILLS HALL, EAST SIDE 



end and the dais at the east, but a brick wall and the 

 floor above at the west effectually hide from view the 

 old arrangement at that end. The screen or ' speeres,' 

 is however still in position, and the passage way 

 remains intact with its original oak outer doors at 

 each end and a stone porch on the north, and with the 

 three usual openings (two of which are built up) 

 opposite to the hall, leading to the kitchen passage, 

 buttery, and pantry. The ' speeres ' stand 4 ft. 6 in. 

 from the walls, on a low stone base, with octagonal 

 angle posts 1 2 in. in diameter having moulded caps, 

 from which the curved braces forming the underside 



ancient timber construction and is enriched with 

 curved braces to its full height, those in the upper part 

 forming large quatrefoil panels. The roof of the 

 hall is carried on stone corbels about I oft. from the 

 floor, one of which is carved with an eight-leaved 

 rose. One of the middle principals, however, is 

 continued on the south side down to the floor, which 

 was most likely the case with the others before the 

 rebuilding of the walls in stone. The west end of 

 the hall between the * speeres ' was probably occupied 

 by a standing screen and without a minstrels' 

 gallery, but there are traces of one having been 



n This may have been done before, 

 when the corridor was added on the west 

 side and the eaves of both roofs brought 

 into line. 



48 The hall is very similar in construc- 

 tion and design to that of Baguley in 

 Cheshire, and is sometimes said to have 



17 



been copied from it. Smithills, however, 

 is much less in height, Baguley being 

 37 ft to the ridge. 



