Spring Hall, also known as Spring Hall Mansions, is a mansion situated off the Huddersfield Road, Halifax, West Yorkshire. A house had been built on the site by 1614, but it was demolished in 1870 leaving only the cellars. It was rebuilt in Gothic Revival style and completed in 1871 to a larger ground plan by architects James Mallinson and William Swinden Barber for Tom Holdsworth.
In World War I, the house served as a hospital. It remained in the family's ownership until the death of Holdsworth's nephew in 1920. Subsequently, it became a boarding house, and passed through several hands until it was presented to Halifax Corporation in 1948. After most of the grounds had been sold off, the remainder was used for sports and recreation, the building was later used as a ballet studio. The building fell into disrepair but was renovated in 2009. As of 2014, Calderdale Register Office has officiated at wedding ceremonies in the Hall's ground floor suite since 2011,Calderdale Council: Spring Hall ceremony suite Retrieved 29 April 2014 and the upper floors are now rented out as office space.
Although many of Barber's buildings are now listed, Spring Hall remains unlisted, although it retains its 17th-century cellars and many original 1871 features including the painted and galleried Arts and Crafts grand staircase.
Architect
By 1871 when he designed this mansion in partnership with James Mallinson (1819–1884), William Swinden Barber (1832–1908) was an established and respected local architect, having designed and co-designed important public buildings and churches in the Halifax area. He was a Gothic Revival and Arts and Crafts architect, having connections with leading artists in these movements through mutual founder-membership of the Artists Rifles. Today, fifteen or more examples of his work are now Grade II listed buildings.See infobox in William Swinden Barber article The original plans by Mallinson and Barber of the rebuild, dated April 1870, still exist at West Yorkshire Archive Service.CMT1 - Halifax Borough (including predecessor authorities) (CMT1)- CMT1/HBI/A:354 Includes 1927 plan of Spring Hall Mansion, proving that Spring Hall and Spring Hall Mansion or Mansions are the same building. Retrieved 27 April 2014
Structural history The building is first recorded as Spring Hall in 1614.West Yorkshire Archive Service: CC00002 - Halifax Antiquarian Society, records (HAS and HAS/A), HAS:725-745 (500/1) Retrieved 27 April 2014CC00050 - Finn Gledhill and Company (formerly Frederick Walker, Son and Dickie), solicitors of Halifax, records (including Halifax Piece Hall, Wadsworth family of Ovenden, Brear and Brown Ltd, brewers, Calder and Hebble Navigation, Waterhouse Charity, Lister family of Shibden Hall) (FW), FW:227 Retrieved 27 April 2014West Yorkshire Archive Service: CC00421 - Halifax Antiquarian Society, Miscellaneous accumulations (HAS/B:1-37), HAS/B:36/3/9 Retrieved 27 April 2014 It has been known as Spring Hall Mansions at least since 1927, and is not listed, although it is a major design by Mallinson and Barber.Information from Calderdale Council Retrieved 27 February 2014 In 1870–1871 it was razed to ground level to enable a rebuild, leaving only the 17th-century arched cellars.Image of boiler room cellar with arched C17 ceiling: :File:Spring Hall Halifax 061.jpg They extended the ground plan and constructed the present Gothic Revival and Arts and Crafts mansion which was completed in 1871.Image of 19th-century joist and lath ceiling in one of the cellar rooms, showing where Mallinson and Barber extended the building plan: :File:Spring Hall Halifax 063.jpg The work involved an application in February 1871 from the architects to alter the fence wall between the Spring Hall estate and the Huddersfield turnpike road.West Yorkshire Archive Service: CMT1 - Halifax Borough (including predecessor authorities) (CMT1), CMT1/MU:26/551 Retrieved 27 April 2014
Exterior During office hours, most of the exterior and the remaining grounds are accessible to the public. Spring Hall is a large, three-storey, cellared building which was originally set in its own grounds. It has pitched roofs, gables and tall, Elizabethan-style chimneys. There is a four-storey, octagonal, pinnacled tower and a ground-floor entrance-porch at the south-east corner (pictured below). The west side, which faces the drive and the Huddersfield Road, has two non-functioning gargoyles representing a dog and fox on the outer corners of the central bay of the first floor.Images of gargoyles: :File:Spring Hall Halifax West Yorks 2114.JPG, :File:Spring Hall Halifax West Yorks 2113.JPG Besides being evident from outside, these gargoyles can be seen through adjacent windows, from inside the building.Image of gargoyle seen through window: :File:Spring Hall Halifax 015.jpg The lintel above the ground floor window on the same bay is carved with a frieze of stylised flower motifs separated by a zigzag line, and the window below contains stone frames with double ogee curves along the top edges.Image of west ground floor window: :File:Spring Hall Mansion Halifax 043.jpg Above the south-east entrance porch is the Holdsworth family crest carved in stone: a lion rampant, holding an opened scroll. Holdsworth family crest Retrieved 27 April 2014. The scroll may have once held the coat of arms' motto, "Sans changer"Image of carved stone lion rampant over porch entrance: :File:Spring Hall Mansion Halifax 021.jpg
Interior
Inside the building, only the porch and entrance hall are accessible to the public, during office hours. Although as of 2014 much of the interior has been adapted for office use and for the Calderdale Register Office, the grand Arts and Crafts wooden staircase has survived intact, along with some wall and ceiling decoration. The lower part of the staircase is visible from the entrance hall.Image showing view of staircase from entrance hall: :File:Spring Hall Halifax 005.jpg
The dark-varnished and galleried staircase retains faded gilding and stencilled motifs on its first floor ceiling and on the underside of the first landing, visible from the ground floor. The decorative, carved frieze around these ceilings also still has old and faded gilding.Image showing stencilled paintings and carved frieze on staircase ceiling: :File:Spring Hall Halifax 024.jpg The newel post is of unusual design.Image of grand staircase newel post: :File:Spring Hall Halifax 002.jpg There are four carved wood and plaster corbels supporting the first floor staircase ceiling. They represent a woman with grapes and flowers, a winged cherub, a man with harvest motifs and a full-bearded man in medieval costume, carrying scrolls.Image of winged cherub corbel: :File:Spring Hall Halifax 025.jpgImage of harvest sprite corbel: :File:Spring Hall Halifax 028.jpg In the latter corbel which overlooks the stairwell, the bearded man's profile is similar to Barber's profile in his portrait by David Wilkie Wynfield, and his scrolls are long and slim enough to be building plans. These details beg the question as to whether it is a portrait of the architect, placed to overlook his work.Image of corbel which may represent the architect, showing bearded man with scrolls like building plans: :File:Spring Hall Halifax 026.jpg The plaster corbels on the ground floor staircase ceiling are carved with lions, in connection with the Holdsworth family crest.Image of ground floor grand staircase corbel with lion head: :File:Spring Hall Halifax 006.jpg
Two original first-floor fireplaces survive. One of these has an over-painted stone surround and mantelpiece, and a hearth surfaced with Arts and Crafts tiles.Image of painted stone fireplace: :File:Spring Hall Halifax 017.jpg The other one in the music room is a large and decoratively carved oak affair, with matching doorways either side. These doors open into a dressing room, allowing the fireplace to be a backdrop for performances.Image showing music room fireplace and doorways: :File:Spring Hall Halifax West Yorks 2104.JPG The doors and fireplace contain half-columns and pediments in a semi-neoclassical style, with a carved frieze of fruit and leaves, and the helmeted head of St Cecilia, patroness of musicians.Image of music room doorway pediment: :File:Spring Hall Halifax 043.jpg The hearth contains a hand-made Arts and Crafts cast iron hood and moulded, coloured ceramic tiles on the surround. The hearth's floor tiles have been removed. The music room has a carved, oak dado, and a decorative plaster ceiling with ceiling roses which double as ventilators, and there are the original wooden beams designed to support the heavy hung ceiling.Image of music room dado: :File:Spring Hall Halifax 029.jpg
On the ground floor, a decorative plaster ceiling with layered and coloured cornice survives in the wedding room of the register office.Image of wedding room ceiling: :File:Spring Hall Halifax 047.jpg That room, like several others, has a large window set back into an arch, as viewed from the interior.Image of arched window recess in wedding room: :File:Spring Hall Halifax 049.jpg Another ground floor room also has a deep, decorative plaster cornice, but no decoration on the ceiling.Image of ceiling cornice on ground floor: :File:Spring Hall Halifax 051.jpg
In the cellar is the boiler room which was originally one of the kitchens, having the remains of a fireplace and of a Belfast sink. At least two of the rooms at this level, including the present boiler room, are the remaining cellars of the original 17th-century house. They are part of the old foundations, having arched ceilings and supporting walls. At least one other cellar room has a 19th-century flat ceiling made of wooden joists and laths, showing that the room is part of Barber's 1871 extension.
Owners and residents
Owners and residents before 1871 Richard Brodeley was Spring Hall's resident in 1614. Between 1649 and 1758, Joshua Wright owned the Hall.West Yorkshire Archive Services: CC00048 - Robert Parker, Halifax, attorney, accumulations (including records relating to the Cragg Vale coiners) (RP), RP:321 Retrieved 27 April 2014 In 1761, Ben Hodgson, a yeoman, was living there.West Yorkshire Archive Service: CC00002 - Halifax Antiquarian Society, records (HAS and HAS/A), HAS:358 (423)/46 Retrieved 27 April 2014 In 1847–1848 there was a case in the County Court disputing the will of merchant Joseph Bates the elder, a former resident of Spring Hall. The case was brought in the Prerogative Court of the Archbishopric of York by William Bates, son of Joseph Bates, against his brother Joseph Bates the younger and others.Cause papers in the Diocesan Courts of the Archbishopric of York: TEST.CP.1847/8 Retrieved 23 April 2014
Holdsworth family
John Holdsworth (1797–1857), was a textile manufacturer and founder of John Holdsworth & Co Ltd, Halifax. The company has been based at Shaw Lodge Mills since 1822, and currently makes fabrics for seating on public transport. During his lifetime, John amassed extensive lands surrounding the mill.Holdsworth family history Retrieved 25 March 2014 On his death these lands were divided for his four sons, and his third son Tom Holdsworth, who was born on 12 February 1826, inherited the portion which included the original Spring Hall building.The Holdworths: Spring Hall, Halifax Retrieved 18 February 2014