Bramall Hall is a fine example of a Cheshire 'Black and White' timber-framed manor house.
Remodelling carried out in the late-19th century partially conceals the building's complex architectural history. The oldest part of the house dates back to the late-14th century when John Davenport was lord of the manor.
The original building consisted of an open Hall with two cross wings. Over the years there were many additions and adornments to the house, particularly in the 16th century when the Hall was floored over and the exterior walls were embellished with the intricate pattern of quatrefoils in squares.
In the late-18th century or early-19th century a second-floor long gallery was removed and the gatehouse range to the west demolished. The house remained in the hands of the Davenport family until 1877 and in 1883 the local silk manufacturer, T.H. Neville, purchased the house for his son. The house was extensively remodelled, restoring some of the picturesque charm lost by the alterations. However, in the process much of the original texture was lost.
In the mid-20th century Bramall Hall was acquired by the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport.The house is approached from the west and from here the layout of the building can clearly be seen. The service wing is to the left, the mainly Elizabethan hall range in the centre and the late-medieval chamber or solar wing to the right.
The gables adorning the hall range date from the late-19th century and are an imitation of nearby Little Moreton Hall. Most of the brick chimneys and much of the woodwork were also replaced at this time.
When the Davenports left in 1877 the contents of the house were removed or sold. Some of these pieces can now be seen at Capesthorne Hall in Cheshire. The Davenport family have loaned back a number of family portraits to Bramall Hall but today the rooms have a rather bare appearance.
The most impressive interior is the late-15th century great chamber (now called the Ballroom) on the first floor of the south wing. Here the original open timber roof has elaborately carved tie-beams and cusped wind-braces. In the late-16th century the walls were decorated with a series of paintings depicting courtly and hunting scenes. These pictures, painted directly onto the wood, have recently been exposed and restored.
A large table carpet in the adjacent Plaster Room is the most important item in the house. The carpet dates from the 1560s (and repurchased in 1945) and depicts the coats of arms of Elizabeth I and the Davenports and their marriage alliances.
The room over the Hall, now known as the Withdrawing Room, was built for William Davenport. The fine carving here dates from 1592 and there is a splendid plaster ceiling of the same date. The walls are hung with Davenport family portraits.
Many other rooms in the house are furnished in late-Victorian style, with Arts and Crafts metalwork by George Faulkner Armitage and paintings by Herbert Schmalz. The room over the restored private chapel in the south wing contains furniture made by A.W.N. Pugin for Abney Hall, in Cheshire.
Today Bramall Hall stands in a prosperous suburb south-east of Manchester. The house is surrounded by 70 acres of beautiful parkland which now form a municipal park.
