Saturday 13th May 2023
Our visits to Knedlington Old Hall proved to be particularly fascinating. The two groups, in the morning and afternoon sessions, received a guided tour of the Hall and gardens by the owner Phil Thomas. Phil and his husband Michael have been working to rescue and restore the building which suffered some very unsympathetic alterations in the early 1960s. They have laid out formal gardens which are now becoming mature.
The principal period of construction for the Hall coincides with the Commonwealth period. When work started in 1650, the building’s square plan was extremely novel, but would be a form which came to dominate domestic architecture in the following centuries.
Phil gave a fascinating commentary and had laid out a number of diagrams and archaeological finds for us. All who have commented were very impressed by the Hall, the depth of the owner’s knowledge and the hospitality shown.