2 00 SHALLCROSS AND YEARDSLEY HALLS. 



of the through passage can be used as single apartments or 

 divided by screens as required, and this seems to point to a 

 very early date, much earlier than the general exterior of the 

 hall would lead one to think. 



It will be noticed also that at the extreme end of what would 

 formerly have been the great hall, the beam carrying the upper 

 floor is close against the end wall, which suggests that perhaps 

 the hall, and certainly the building, was originally longer than 

 at present, because if that wall had been the end of the build- 

 ing, the construction of the beams would have been similar to 

 that shown in the portion now occupied as a kitchen, where 

 the end is signified by the short beam at right angles to the 

 main beams. Externally also, although the wall is now covered 

 with plaster, there are indications that the building did not end 

 here, for as will be seen from the plate, there are, for instance, 

 no coign stones at the corners, and the whole has a very un- 

 finished appearance. But imagine another wing abutting upon 

 the front to match the other end, and we have what was probably 

 the ancient Yeardsley Hall complete. 



The old entrance door, which may be even earlier than the 

 reign of Elizabeth, is still doing duty in its original state, and 

 looks likely to continue to do so> for a long time to come. 

 Cellars are known to exist, and, as at Bradshaw, various attempts 

 have been made to find them, but without success, the entrance 

 to them having been so- well covered up that all traces have 

 been lost. It is curious that this . should occur in two halls so 

 near in locality, and one hesitates to speculate upon the reason. 

 A simple explanation, however, may be, that in each case the 

 cellars were below the portion of the building which is believed 

 to have been destroyed. The whole of the upper floors are in 

 the original oak, and are in very good condition. 



Altogether, judging by the hall and its surroundings, one can 

 safely say that although much of its ancient character has been 

 modernized, Yeardsley Hall is still well worth a careful study, 

 as a difficult problem in defining the curious adaptation of a 

 typical mediaeval hall to the requirements of the best period 

 of Renaissance architecture. 



