Tankersley Old Hall

Description

The ruins of Tankersley Old Hall stand c. 1 km. to the south-east of Tankersley parish church, a little to the east of the centre of the former Tankersley Park. The Park owes its origin to a grant of free Warren to Hugh de Elland, lord of the manor, by Edward I in 1303-4. Later in the 14th century Tankersley passed to the Savile family, who were succeeded in the early 17th century by Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford. The house Was overshadowed by the great family seat of Wentworth Woodhouse, and leased out to the Fanshawes in 1653. Although the park was remodelled in the early 18th century to suit contemporary taste, with artificial lakes and follies, the Old Hall itself fell into disuse and was dismantled in the 1720s and 1730s, its stone and timber being re-used in a number of buildings including the present farmhouse which stands to the west of the single block of the Old Hall which was allowed to survive. Later in the 18th century the park was divided up and both coal'and ironstone mining begun within it.
The Old Hall has generally been described as a late 16th century house, erected by the Saviles and built, on a previously unoccupied site (Hey 1975, 111). The earlier manor site is conjectured to have been on the north of the parish church, where the rectory, in its present form a 19th century building, stands within an important moated site. Recent investigation of the Old Hall by the County Archaeology Service has shown that the late 16th century house was an enlargement of an earlier structure, almost certainly a late medieval hunting lodge (Ryder 1984). (South Yorkshire SMR)

Tankersley Old Hall - GV II Ruined mansion. Late C16, incorporating part of earlier structure, dismantled c1730. Ashlar and rubble sandstone, no roof, 2 x 3 bay rectangular tower with undercroft, remains stand over 2 storeys high; east wall originally the end of earlier house and with internal features now exposed. South side: corner piers flank 2 basement windows of 2 lights in chamfered, projecting surrounds; 2 ground floor windows originally of 2 lights; transomed and cavetto-moulded lst floor windows beneath string course, upper walling ruinous. North side: 3-light mullioned windows in chamfered plinth, transomed 3-light windows to 1st floor. East side: fireplace to ground floor left has moulded arched lintel with triangular extrados. Joist corbels, brickwork above with 2 moulded fireplaces, another fireplace above on left has relieving arch. Believed to have been built for the 6th Earl of Shrewsbury (Arundel Mss). Belonged to the Savile family until taken over by Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford in early C17, already in disrepair when leased to Fanshawe family in 1653; finally dismantled c1730. Ruin under consolidation at time of resurvey. (Listed Building Report)

Derelict tower-like structure which survive NW of railway is possible peel tower in origin with later adaptations in terms of larger windows etc. Wilkinson's 'History of Worsbrough' speaks of the Civil War garrison, implying some defensibility. (Sneyd 1995)

Comments

Significant late medieval house, in a deer park. A three storey structure is incorporated into the Elizabethan manor. This may have been a chamber tower and may have had some martial symbolism such as battlements. The original manor was the moated site, beside the church and this house appears to have started as a late medieval hunting lodge in the deer park of an upcoming branch of the Saville family. In the C16 the Saville's turn the hunting lodge into a new grand house and moved away from the church, allowing the old moated manor to become a demense farm.