Crookdake Hall

Description

Farmhouse. Late C16 or early C17 incorporating C14 features. Painted and pebble-dashed walls, under graduated greenslate roof with brick chimney stacks. 2 storeys, 4 bays, with 2-storey stair wing to rear forming overall L-shape. C16 or C17 2-storey gabled stone porch has plank door in Tudor-arched surround, under continuous hoodmould extending over C19 side window; and similar window over door. Sash windows in C19 painted stone surrounds. Wall to right of porch is an extension, with C20 lean-to porch to extreme right; the left wall is extremely thick. Wall to left side has massive stepped plinth. Rear extension has C19 sash windows in painted stone surrounds but blocked end windows have C16 or C17 hoodmoulds. Internal extremely thick C14 end wall has newel staircase in its thickness, blocked on ground floor, but still used as bedroom access to attic. In the same wall, now behind a C20 fireplace, is a ground-floor C16 or C17 stone-arched fireplace. Ruined medieval wall, now detached from the house, suggests that this and the end wall formed part of a tower belonging to the Crookdakes in the C14, the Musgraves in the late C15 and Ballantines from 1663. (Listed Building Report)

W.T. McIntire says 'probably developed from a pele tower' but gives no evidence for this statement. (Perriam and Robinson 1998)

Applies to an ancient border stronghold, now a farmstead, situated 1/2m. east of Goosegreen. In the time of Edward I it was the residence of Adam of Crookdake who died in 1304. (OS record card)
Crookdale Hall presents an architectural complex comprising:
A large farmhouse, probably E. 19th c. costruction; a range of farm buildings with 1893 datestone, probably rebuilt then, as the East block has a 1670 datestone with a west face of that period.
To the south, a free standing, thick stone wall has no architectural features but obviously predates any other building,and at NY 19774429 is a large ruined dovecote, with stone nesting boxes, 16/17th c. Much field walling around the complex uses old building stone. (F1 FRH 24-FEB-67)
Excavation in October 1985 identified the surviving detached wall as originally part of a freestanding structure c 11.45m E-W by 6.63m N-S which butted the S wall of what is now the farmhouse. Whilst no dating evidence was found for the demolished structure, it appears to post-date the farmhouse here. Walls in orchard appear to be part of demolished post-medieval farm buildings. (Caruana 1986)
A survey of the farmhouse in 1985 indicates that the newel stair in the main house is of 17th century, and the wall thicknesses may indicate that it originated as a tower (Perriam and Robinson). (PastScape)

Comments

A modest chamber block type pele tower attached to a hall of C14 date is certainly possible here although the actual evidence is pretty slight.