Baildon Hall

Baildon Hall

Address	Hallfield Drive
Postcode	BD17 6NH
Built	1553 and earlier
Built by	Robert Baildon
Style	Originally 16C Manor House, now modified.
Grade II* list No.	1199151
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History

Baildon Hall is thought to be one of the oldest surviving buildings in Baildon and is believed to have been built towards the end of the 15th century as a timber framed cross wing hall though incorporating a 14th century oak screen with three doorways inserted into a 15th century framework with cross beams and timbers. Around the middle of 17th century it was enclosed in stone. The building is considered to be an outstanding (and rare) example of a medieval Yorkshire manor house. It has been altered over the years but is still worthy of its Grade II* listing designation.

The present house was built at the end of the 16th century by Robert Baildon, though he clearly incorporated parts of an earlier building.

At the time of his marriage in 1649 to Jane Hawksworth, daughter of Sir Richard Hawksworth, Francis Baildon beautified the parlour of Baildon Hall with oak panelling and an ornate plasterwork ceiling and frieze. Ceilings of this type had been popular since Tudor times. The first such plasterers came from Italy, though this ceiling was probably made by London craftsmen. In the design there are birds, acorns, oak leaves, lions, fruit, goats and gargoyle-like heads. Francis's initials can be seen above the fireplace.

There is a legend that Charles I’s nephew, Prince Rupert, slept at the Hall after his defeat at the Battle of Marston Moor near York in 1644.

Baildon, the settlement, and the Baildon family, who built Baildon Hall as their family seat, both took their name from Baildon Hill.

Baildon Hall has been preserved and restored through the efforts of the members of Baildon Hall Club which was set up in 1939. After a meeting in the Liberal Club of several Auxiliary Fire Servicemen the Baildon Social Club was formed and they quite quickly accepted the offer of the use of rooms in Baildon Hall.

Baildon Hall c1936

The West Riding Register of Clubs has an entry where the original name of the club is Baildon Auxiliary Fire Service. Within the register is also the Customs and Excise card dated 15 Nov 1939 No 254130 acknowledging receipt of the letter re. Baildon A.F.S Social Club. The entries start on 14 Nov 1939 where the secretaries of the club are listed.

• George King 1939 - 1941 with 75, 90 & 111 members.
• Norman Mead Pearson 1942 and 43 with 147 & 153 members.
• Frank Rodway 1944-45. 160, 150 members
• Steven Ramsey 1946. 140 members
• John Hargreaves 1947. 131 members
• John G Jones 1948. 131 members
• Victor Charlton 1949. 130 members
• Leonard Crabtree 1950-51. 126, 171 members
• Fred Sanderson 1952. 172 members
• Fred Whitely 1953. 178 members
• Frank Burgess 1954-55. 160, 147 members

A letter dated 7 June 1947 is in the register. It was from J. Hargreaves, (21 Hallfield Drive) secretary of Baildon A.F.S. Social Club, Old Hall, Baildon, Yorks. Tel Shipley 1695 stating that at an extraordinary general meeting on the 6 June 1947 it was decided that the club should be called Baildon Hall Club.

On 31 December 1955 the register was transferred from Otley to the Petty Sessional Division of Bingley.

Census Data

1841 Census

Civic Parish: Otley. Hundred: Skyrack (Upper Division) County: Yorkshire. Sub district: Baildon Piece: 1314 Book: 3 Folio: 11 Page number: 14

Note that several family entries are all given the same "address" of Baildon Hall with a "do". My thoughts are that these are separate dwellings within the small area around Baildon Hall. It is known that there were cottages near.

Dwelling: Baildon Hall

Name	Status	Age	Gender	Birthplace	Relationship	Occupation
John Robinson	Head	50	Male	Yorkshire		Joiner
Hannah Robinson		50	Female	Yorkshire
Sarah Robinson		20	Female	Yorkshire
Mary Robinson		18	Female	Yorkshire
Samuel Robinson		16	Male	Yorkshire
Isaac Robinson		13	Male	Yorkshire

Dwelling: Baildon Hall

Name	Status	Age	Gender	Birthplace	Relationship	Occupation
William Brearey	Head	40	Male	Yorkshire		Joiner
Ann Brearey		40	Female	Yorkshire
Thomas Brearey		13	Male	Yorkshire
William Brearey		7	Male	Yorkshire
Alfred Brearey		5	Male	Yorkshire
James Brearey		1	Male	Yorkshire
Elizabeth Brearey		11	Female	Yorkshire
Margaret Brearey		9	Female	Yorkshire
John Staincliff		15	Male	Yorkshire

Dwelling: Baildon Hall

Name	Status	Age	Gender	Birthplace	Relationship	Occupation
Michael Walker	Head	55	Male	Yorkshire		Farmer
Ann Walker		55	Female	Yorkshire
William Garnett		45	Male	Yorkshire
George Powell		20	Male	Yorkshire
Mark Bell		15	Male	Yorkshire
Susanna Ramshaw		20	Female	Yorkshire

Dwelling: Baildon Hall

Name	Status	Age	Gender	Birthplace	Relationship	Occupation
Michael Walker		20	Male	Yorkshire		Agric labourer
Rachael Walker		20	Female	Yorkshire

Civic Parish: Otley. Hundred: Skyrack (Upper Division) County: Yorkshire. Sub district: Baildon Piece: 1314 Book: 3 Folio: 11 Page number: 15

Dwelling: Dog Kennel, Baildon Hall

Name	Status	Age	Gender	Birthplace	Relationship	Occupation
Thomas Sutton		30	Male	Yorkshire		Stuff weaver
Jane Sutton		20	Female	Yorkshire

1891 Census

Dwelling: Baildon Hall

Note that the census record is incorrect in the relationship in this dwelling. If we assume that the head is Mary Clegg 66, as stated, then the relationships of Mary Clegg 41 and her children are incorrect with respect to the head. I have put the correct interpretation in brackets. Alternatively, If James Clegg is the head then Mary Clegg 66 should be listed as Mother.

Name	Relationship	Age	Gender	Birthplace	Status	Occupation
Mary Clegg	Head	66	Female	Baildon, Yorkshire	Widow	Farmer
James Clegg	Son	41	Male	Baildon, Yorkshire	Married	Worsted Spinner
Mary Clegg	Wife (Daughter in Law)	43	Female	Middleton, Yorkshire	Married
William Clegg	Son (Grandson)	14	Male	Bradford, Yorkshire	Single	Scholar
Charles Clegg	Son (Grandson)	9	Male	Baildon, Yorkshire	Single	Scholar
Anniee Clegg	Daughter (Granddaugh)	6	Female	Baildon, Yorkshire	Single	Scholar
Fred Clegg	Son (Grandson)	4	Male	Baildon, Yorkshire	Single
Ruth Hardwick	Visitor	41	Female	Middleton, Yorkshire	Single

Dwelling: Baildon Hall Yard

Name	Relationship	Age	Gender	Birthplace	Status	Occupation
John Addyman	Head	40	Male	Hartwith, Yorkshire	Married	Agric Labourer
Margaret Addyman	Wife	35	Female	Aldborough, Yorkshire	Married
William Addyman	Son	6	Male	Hartwith, Yorkshire	Single	Scholar
Louisa Addyman	Daughter	4	Female	Hartwith, Yorkshire	Single
Elsie Addyman	Daughter	2	Female	Baildon, Yorkshire	Single
Robert I Addyman	Boarder	25	Male	Wortley, Yorkshire	Single
George H Hullah	Boarder	20	Male	Hartwith, Yorkshire	Single	General Labourer

Dwelling: Baildon Hall Yard

Name	Relationship	Age	Gender	Birthplace	Status	Occupation
Thomas Barsky	Head	38	Male	Denton, Yorkshire	Married	Agric Labourer
Charlotte Barsky	Wife	31	Female	Catton, Yorkshire	Married
Elizabeth Barsky	Daughter	14	Female	Burley, Yorkshire	Single	Worsted Spinner
Annie Barsky	Daughter	12	Female	Bingley, Yorkshire	Single	Scholar
Walter Barsky	Son	10	Male	Bingley, Yorkshire	Single	Scholar

Dwelling: Baildon Hall Yard

Name	Relationship	Age	Gender	Birthplace	Status	Occupation
Thomas Myers	Head	62	Male	Baildon, Yorkshire	Married	Mason Contractor
Ann Myers	Wife	54	Female	Baildon, Yorkshire	Married
Joseph Myers	Son	22	Male	Baildon, Yorkshire	Single	Mason Foreman
Lambert Myers	Son	13	Male	Baildon, Yorkshire	Single	Mason Foreman

Plus Dwelling: Baildon Hall Yard - uninhabited

1911 Census

1911 Census Data. Dwelling: Baildon Hall

Registration District: Wharfedale Sub-reg dist: Yeadon Sub-reg Dist No.:5 Enum Dist No.: 2 Piece 26030

Name	Relationship	Age	Gender	Birthplace	Status	Occupation
Mary Popplewell	Head	60	Female	Windhill, Yorkshire	Widowed
John Popplewell	Son	22	Male	Windhill, Yorkshire	Single	Farmers Son Working On Farm
Benjamin Deacon	Brother	58	Male	Windhill, Yorkshire	Single
John Weatherhead	Servant	22	Male	Cottingley, Yorkshire	Single	Farm Labourer

1911 Census Data. Dwelling: 2 Baildon Hall Fold

Name	Relationship	Age	Gender	Birthplace	Status	Occupation
Thomas Henry Pattinson	Head	60	Male	Tranmere, Cheshire	Married	Watch & Jewellery Repairer
Eliza Pattinson	Wife	59	Female	Bradford, Yorkshire	Married
Ethel Pattinson	Daughter	25	Female	Baildon, Yorkshire	Single	Certified Midwife
Veda Pattinson	Daughter	22	Female	Baildon, Yorkshire	Single	Typist
Marion Lupton	Grandchild	7	Femaile	Baildon, Yorkshire

1911 Census Data. 4 Baildon Hall Fold

Name	Relationship	Age	Gender	Birthplace	Status	Occupation
Louisa Clark	Wife	34	Female	Bradford, Yorkshire	Married
Rene Florence Clark (Irene?)	Daughter	6	Male	Japan (resident)
Geoffrey Clark	Son	4	Male	Bradford, Yorkshire
Sidney Clark	Son	2	Male	Bradford, Yorkshire
Margaret Helson (Nelson?)	Aunt	50	Female	Bradford

1911 Census Data. 6 Baildon Hall Fold

Name	Relationship	Age	Gender	Birthplace	Status	Occupation
William Popplewell	Head	30	Male	Castleford, Yorkshire	Married	Farm Labourer On Farm
Bertha Popplewell	Wife	28	Female	Greengates, Yorkshire	Married
Mary Popplewell	Daughter	4	Female	Baildon, Yorkshire
Nellie Popplewell	Daughter	2	Female	Baildon, Yorkshire

1911 Census Data. 8 Baildon Hall Fold

Name	Relationship	Age	Gender	Birthplace	Status	Occupation
Thomas Clark	Head	48	Male	Baildon, Yorkshire	Grocer Assistant
Martha Clark	Wife	55 Female	Shipley, Yorkshire

Listed Building description. Grade II*

The following text is the listed building description.

Manor house, now social club. C14 screens-passage incorporated into late C15 crosswing encased late C16 with mid C17 hall range with early-mid C19 alterations. Timber-framed crosswing encased by large dressed stone with dressed stone C17 range and stone slate roof. 2½ storeys with cellar. 3-roomed front, hall-and crosswing plan, double-depth under 2-span roof. L-shaped west front has 3-gabled hall range with projecting wing to right. 1st cell, parlour, has two C19 sashed windows with plain stone surrounds. Hall under 2-gables, has 10 x 10 light mullioned-and transomed window with roll and concave moulding, king mullion and round heads to upper lights; 3 lights have been blocked by inserted door. Hoodmould over window. 1st floor has 6 C19 sashed windows. Each gable has cross-window to attic, moulded coping, base for finial, and parapet between gables. Doorway to right at junction with wing, has shallow-arched lintel with spandrels, composite jambs and moulded surround. South wing breaks forward with 4-light deeply-chamfered mullioned window with cavetto mullions. Above, 3-light chamfered mullioned windows. Coped gable with base for finial to apex. Left return of wing projects beyond eaves and has laid-on rainwater head. This indicates the enclosing of the earlier timber-frame. This indicates the enclosing of the earlier timber-frame.

Rear: U-shaped with gabled crosswing to left, gabled hall to centre with large external stack to right, gabled stair tower flush with right wing. Plinth. left wing has 4-light cavetto-moulded mullioned deeply-chamfered window with 4 arched lights and sunken spandrels, 3-light chamfered window above. Coped gable with kneelers and base for finial. Set back, hall has 4 x 4-light double-chamfered mullioned-and transomed window with cross-window above. Large stack projects with moulded cornice and rainwater head. Stair-tower has blocked doorway to left of cross-window with same above. Right wing has 6-light double-chamfered mullioned window set in basement to light cellar. 6 x 6-light mullioned-and-transomed window with former 5 x 5-light window above altered to 2 sashed lights. Cross-window to attic. Paired coped gables with kneelers and bases for finials, set in left-hand return of stair-tower original doorway with Tudor-arched lintel, sunken spandrels, and cyma-moulded surround with broach-and roll stop 2-light window above, corbelled stone gutter. Left-hand return has 2 gables each with tall external stacks, that to rear carried on corbells for 1st-floor fireplace. Set between, cross-window to each floor and rainwater chute set in valley between the 2 coped gables. Right-hand return has 2 lateral stacks reduced in height.

Interior; North wing contains parlour with rear service room and steps down to contemporary cellar. Parlour has fine oak-panelled walls reputedly brought from Hawksworth Hall by Jane Hawksworth at the time of her marriage to Francis Baildon in 1649 (Le Page, P34). It was probably at this time that the richly decorated plaster ceiling and frieze was installed. The frieze has the initials “F B ” and is decorated with vine-leaves, pomegranates and flowers. The ceiling has fruit and foliage motifs with pendants, and ribs arranged in a geometric pattern of squares and circles. The chamber above has late C17 oak panelling with long rectangular panels. The hall has 2 large spine beans and lateral fireplace with moulded jambs and replaced pointed lintel (wooden). Chamber above has Victorian plaster cornice. Opening off the hall, at junction with North Wing, is fine original closed string, framed newel stair with heavy square newels decorated with strap-work and with flame-finials, moulded handrail and finely turned balusters. At junction with hall and south wing is screens passage with pointed-arched doorways (timber) the centre one wider and formerly leading into a passage separating the ground floor of wing into 2 rooms each with fireplaces contemporary with stone encasing. 2 posts either side of screen rise to support king-post trusses. 1st floor of 3 bays. Front bay has closed truss with “A” struts and close-studded wall with fragments of plaster decoration dated 1618. 2-bay rear room has fine open truss with tall king-post and tie-beam with knee braces. Wall plate and close-studded wall at junction with hall-chamber. Transverse cross-beams morticed into posts support the exceptionally heavy 10" x 8" laid-on joists. Eastern gable (rear) has similar closed truss on the inside of gable wall. Roof timbers virtually intact with heavy rafters. The wing would appear to be a floored solar wing, heated by an external stack on the side wall. The single bay chamber with plaster decoration dated 1618 had a fragment, now perished, decorated with the Christian symbol of a fish and thus may have been a chapel originally. The seat of the Baildon family. A house of importance with the rare survival of a late medieval timberframed cross-wing and finely panelled and plastered C17 parlour with a good original staircase. J. Le Page, The Story of Baildon, (1951). RCHM (England) report.

News Items

Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer - Friday 06 December 1935
BAILDON HALL TO BE PRESERVED
15th Century Manor Bought by Local Freemasons
NEW HEADQUARTERS
From Our Correspondent. BAILDON, Thursday
Fifteenth century Baildon Hall, the historic house of former lords the manor of Baildon, has been saved from demolition.
It is be preserved in nearly its present form as possible. People all over the county, and Baildon residents in particular, will be grateful to Balldon Freemasons for the decision they arrived at during their meeting to-night, at the close of which Mr. Fred Woodcock, member the Lodge, made this announcement.
He stated that the whole matter had been settled, and the Freemasons had obtained possession of the mansion and as much the property as suited their purpose, including the large enclosed garden behind. "Naturally," he said. "things are in a state of flux at present, but we do not intend to spoil anything, although we find we have any requirements, the hall will he adapted to suit our purpose." Ultimately, no doubt, it will become the centre Freemasonry in Baildon.
Mr. W. Hill, another Freemason, who in his capacity as chairman of Baildon Urban Council, unsuccessfully attempted to raise sufficient money by public subscription to save the hall is delighted at the success of this eleventh-hour move.
The estate had passed into the possession of a local firm of builders, whose intention was to use the land for housing development. Their announcement a short time ago that they would welcome any reasonable offer for the purchase of the hall by a local society with a view conversion into headquarters, is no doubt directly resonsible for the hall being saved.
Baildon Hall is of rare historical interest, for it contains a wealth old panelling and rich carving. When the property came into the market after the death of Colonel W W Maude, the last Lord of the Manor, efforts were made by the Baildon Council to acquire it for their use as public offices or as a museum, but their negotiations with the trustees failed, it is understood, on the ground of price.

References