More information : (SJ 81954478) Keele Hall (NAT) (1) Keele Hall, mainly 19th century with some remains of 16th century work. Grade II. (2) Keel, a cell of the Knights Templars from circa 1180 to 1311, after which it belonged to the Hospitallers. Purchased from the Crown by Sir WIlliam Sneyd in 1545. (3) House of knights Templars founded before 1255, passed to Hospitallers circa 1312. Dissolved circa 1338. (4) Keele Hall, now a part of the University of Stafford, was according to a stone inscription across the NE face, built by Ralph Sneyd in 1580 and rebuilt in 1860 by another Ralph Sneyd. (5) 6/28 Keele Hall 2/12/52 Grade II* Former country house, now part of university. Total re-building by Anthony Salvin in 1856-61 for Ralph Sneyd of an earlier house of c.1580. additions of c.1880 (see inscription to cornice "HAS AEDES A PROAVO SUO RADULPHO SNEYD EXTRUCTAS ANNO DOMINI MDLXXX RESITUENDAS CURAVIT RADULPHUS SNEYD A.D. MDCCCLX"). Red and yellow sandstone ashlar with chamfered rusticated quoins; plain tile roofs with fish-scale bands and prominent ashlar stacks with moulded capping. Jacobean style, roughly 'L'-shaped in plan. 3 storeys over cellars, attics. Viewed from the front the left-hand wing is the plainest and has the character of a service wing; projecting shaped gable to left with small pediment to top; to the right is the main part of the wing with a corbelled half-dormer to centre and a higher section of 2 bays to right with 2 shaped full-dormers and connecting balustrade over moulded cornice; mullioned and transomed windows and in the angle with the left-hand gable a single-storeyed entrance porch of c.1950 with the arms of Keele University above; a smaller round-arched doorway to the right has the motto "THANK GOD FOR ALL" ABOVE. The dominating feature of the wing and projecting from it in the angle with the right-hand range is the rectangular staircase tower, lit by tall, mullioned and transomed windows with an upper storey or lantern (added by Sneyd as an after-thought) surmounted by an openwork balustrade with 4 heraldic lions to the corners. The right-hand wing is the original entrance front with two 12-light mullioned and transomed windows (lighting the Great Hall) to the left of the roughly central full-height porch, approached by a short flight by steps, which has a classical doorway with pediment and Doric columns but an upper oriel and shaped gable above; to the right again is a full-height canted bay terminating in a shaped half-dormer, piercing the openwork balustrade; mullioned and transomed windows throughout. At the right-hand end of the range is a lower attachment (c.1880), carried round to the back, also with shaped gables and openwork balustrade but to the rear with round-arched windows. The south (garden) front is symmetrical (except for an upper canted bay window in the left-hand bay) and has polygonal corner turrets capped by lead cupolas; 1:1:3:1:1 windows (mullioned and transomed) with projecting shaped gabled breaks to the left and right and a slightly recessed central portion with a 3-bay round-arched open arcade to the ground floor; Renaissance-style decorative motifs. The east front is also for display, again with polygonal corner turrets (one being shared with south front); irregular fenestration (mainly mullioned and transomed windows) with 4 half-dormers with shaped gables piercing the openwork balustrade; the most prominent feature is the lavishly ornamented 2-storeyed 3-window canted bay to the left, terminating in a shaped and pointed gable. Interior: main rooms all on principal floor, and much of the decoration inspired by Sneyd. Great Hall: late medieval/early Renaissance style, has a 3-bay arcade at each end with gallery above; applied Ionic order with carved heads at keystones to round-headed arches; the most striking feature is the magnificent fireplace on the south wall with a lavish heraldic device with 42 quarterings beneath a broken pediment and with twisted marble columns to the sides. Behind the hall to the south is the library with a richly ornamented ceiling, gallery and fireplace, all by Salvin. The other main rooms, however, are all on the east and now form the Senior Common Room. They start on the north with the Dining Room in a Tudor style; tapestries which (according to a C19 inventory) were made by Aubusson "specially for the room" and carvings by Rogers in the style of Grindling Gibbons; also a plaster ceiling and inlaid floor surround by Messrs. Arrowsmith of New Bond Street. This connects with the Breakfast Room, a relatively small link room sharing motifs with both the Dining Room and the Drawing Room. This is in an early C18 style and owes something to the influence of William Kent; a coffered ceiling by Rogers, the painting of which is largely original, pedimented door surrounds and 2 good fireplaces. An unusual feature is the sliding mirror to the south window, which can be used to deceive one into believing the rooms double their actual extent. The other main item of note is the C17 style staircase (to the north of the Great Hall) with its vase-shaped balusters and newels with pointed finials and fleur-de-lys symbols. B.O.E., Pp.158-60, RS Hampson, JM Kolbert and Dr Goodway (personal communication), and JM Kolbert, The Sneyds and Keele Hall (guide book, 1970 edition) (6)
|