Outside the house

Stand on the path in front of the Hall.

1. Name five different materials used in building the Hall.


2. Think of a reason why the upstairs juts out over the ground floor. Write it down.

3. Look closely, then sketch one of the struts that are helping to support the corners of the 'jetty'.
 

4. Study the size of the corner posts. Why do you think they are so big?

5. A thin sheet of lead has been added to the top of the corner posts. What is the reason for this?

6. Make small sketches to show the patterns in the wood on each floor of the parlour-end of the Hall. You will need to stand or sit on the lawn at the front of the Hall to do this.


     


Go round to the west side of the Hall and stand on the grass.

7. Look for the chimney stack - what does its size tell you about how important fires were as a way of heating the rooms?

8. Study the bricks in the chimney stack. Are they the same as modern bricks? Draw the pattern the bricks make. The way they are fitted together is called 'a bond'.


9. Here are some pictures of brick bonds. Tick the one you think is the closest to the one you have drawn.

brick bonds

Stretcher bond, English bond and Flemish bond

10. Look at the little brick path leading to the side door. Find the brick with the thumb print in it. From this clue you should be able to work out how the bricks were made.

11. There are two special windows on this side of the Hall. They show that Richard Smalbroke, the man who had the Hall built, was rich. They are called 'oriel windows'. Draw one in the box below.

 

Go round to the north side of the Hall.


12. Find the extension that was built onto the back of the Hall in about 1650. What is the extension built of?


13. Look at the chimneys where the extension joins the main house. Do they appear straight? If not, what do you think has happened to them over the years?


There was a toilet chute on this back wall, next to the great hall chimney. The newer kitchen chimney stack covered it up.

14. Can you see the bell at the gable end of the kitchen. What do you think it was used for? (Remember that Blakesley Hall had a farm and was surrounded by fields.)


15. On a separate piece of paper make some observational drawings of the Hall.


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