Calverley Old Hall facts for kids
Calverley Old Hall is a really old house, built way back in the Middle Ages. It's located in Calverley, West Yorkshire, England. This house is so special that it's been given a "Grade I listed building" status, which means it's one of the most important historic buildings in the country!
What Makes This House Special?
Many parts of Calverley Old Hall are still just as they were hundreds of years ago. This is quite rare! The oldest part of the house is called the solar. This was a private living room, often found in medieval houses, and it's thought to be from the 1300s.
The great hall and the chapel were built a bit later, between 1485 and 1495. The great hall has a very cool roof called a hammerbeam roof. It's made of wood and looks like giant curved beams, making the room feel grand and open.
Later on, in the early 1500s, a man named Sir William Calverley added another part to the house. He had a very large family, so he needed more space for everyone to live!
The Calverley Family Story
The Calverley family lived in Calverley for a very long time, for many hundreds of years! In the mid-1600s, a family member named Walter Calverley married Francis Thompson. She was from a wealthy family in a place called Esholt.
Later, in 1709, their son, also named Walter, decided to build a brand new, big house called Esholt Hall. After that, the Calverley family moved out of Calverley Old Hall.
After Walter's death in 1749, his family sold the Esholt estate. Then, in 1754, they sold all their properties in Calverley to another family, the Thornhills. After the Calverley family left, the old hall was divided up into smaller homes for different families.
Calverley Old Hall Today
For a while, the hall was used for simpler things. The chapel, for example, was even rented out as a shop where people fixed wheels!
But in 1981, a special group called the Landmark Trust bought Calverley Old Hall. They worked hard to fix it up and make it beautiful again. Now, they rent it out as a unique place for people to stay for holidays. It's a great way for visitors to experience living in a real medieval house!
