| Summary : Upper Hall was formerly the residence of the Lay Vicars of Ledbury Church; the site may be of pre-Conquest origin. There is some evidence for a large medieval building, said to have been timber-framed, in the massive stone walls exposed mainly at cellar level, but also in places above; but this building would appear to have been largely destroyed in the English Civil War. The earliest part of the present building is the eastern half of the south-western range. This "Jacobean" five-bay building has two main storeys and attics above the cellars and was built between 1660 and 1680, with a contemporary walled garden. It is of brick with a hipped, tiled roof and a modillioned eaves cornice; the windows have contemporary mullions and transoms. At the eastern end of the Hall is an apparently Georgian wing, which was erected across the eastern end of what is presumed to have been the medieval hall circa 1730. The range is L-shaped and consisted [before the late 20th century developments] of two main rooms on each floor with smaller rooms leading off to the east. The range is of brick with stone quoins and a tiled roof. Joining the two wings is what is now the main part of the building. This range is dated by an inscription 'I S 1766', built as a three storey range above the basement. This central range presumably replaced an earlier hall block; internally the range originally contained a basic framework of two large rooms on each floor. The house and grounds were further altered by 1841, with another wing by 1849, and further extensions before 1867, converting the Hall into a Victorian mansion. During World War I, the house was used as an Auxiliary Hospital, being sold in 1920 for use as a Grammar School. This school was extended in 1949 and 1963, and in 1978 became part of the John Masefield High School. In 1991 the school moved to new premises, and circa 1995 to 2000 the building was converted into apartments. Listed Grade II. |
More information : Upper Hall (SO 71343784 sited from plan), formerly Over Hall (part of Ledbury Grammar School), is an 18th century or modern brick building of three storeys, except for a late 17th century wing on the south. This is of two storeys with attic and cellars; the walls are of brick and the roofs are tiled. (1)
Church Street, SE side. Upper Hall (part of Ledbury Grammar School), as listed 18.09.1953. Grade II.
Late 17th century south wing. Brick. Hipped roof of tiles with modillioned eaves cornice. Two storeys, attic and cellars. Band between storeys carried up as a pediment over east doorway. Old wood mullioned and transomed casements with glazing bars. Hipped dormers.
Interior contains original staircase with moulded strings, twisted balusters, square newels and panelled dado. Adjoining north wing joined by swept parapet, late 18th to early 19th century, brick, hipped tiled roof, three storeys, five windows, sashes with glazing bars and with keyblocks in flat brick arches, stone-moulded architrave to central door with cornice on console brackets.
Interior: hall with arcade on panelled piers, modillion cornice and doorcases with shouldered architraves. Later 19th century addition to the north-east. Formerly residence of the Lay Vicars of Ledbury Church. Converted for use as school. RCHM (5).
Listing NGR: SO 7134437858. (2)
There is some evidence for a large medieval building in the massive stone walls exposed mainly at cellar level, but also in places above. The earliest part of the present building is the eastern half of the south-western range. This "Jacobean" five-bay building has two main storeys and attics above the cellars and was built between 1660 and 1680. It is of brick with a hipped, tiled roof and a modillioned eaves-cornice; the windows all have late 17th century mullions and transoms. At the eastern end of the Hall is an apparently Georgian wing, which was erected across the eastern end of what is presumed to have been the medieval hall circa 1730. The range is L-shaped and before the late 20th century development consisted of two main rooms on each floor with smaller rooms leading off to the east. The range is of brick with stone quoins and a tiled roof. Joining the two wings is what is now the main part of the building. This range is dated by an inscription 'I S 1766', built as a three storey range above the basement. This central range presumably replaced an earlier hall block; internally the range contained a basic framework of two large rooms on each floor. Another wing was added to the west of the Jacobean block by 1849. Further extensions were carried out before 1867 converting the Hall into a Victorian mansion. During the First World War the house was used as an Auxiliary Hospital and in 1920 the building was sold to the County Council for use as a Grammar School. The school was extended in 1949 and 1963, and in 1978 became part of the John Masefield High School. In 1991 the school moved to new premises. (3)(4)(5)
In the mid-1990s the building was purchased for development into eight apartments, with consequent internal alterations. (6)
Upper Hall is pre-Conquest in orgin, becoming a medieval church estate. It is recorded as leased by the Bishop of Hereford in 1542, thereafter passing into the ownership of the Skyppe family. The hall was largely destroyed in the English Civil War, and after the Restoration a brick wing was added to the timber-framed house, and a large walled garden to the NW. The diary of one owner, George Skyppe, lists all the fruit trees, including some which were rare or otherwise unrecorded in England at this time. The house was sold in 1812, and by 1841 there was a new drive to the front, the walled garden subdivided into 12 plots, and the addition of a greenhouse. (7)
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