Ordsall Hall. Picture credit: Lucy Fieldhouse.

Ordsall Hall is hosting an online lecture series looking at the Salford landmark’s rich and unique Gothic history.

Named ‘Deciphering Ordsall Hall’s Layers of Gothic History: Medieval to Victorian’, the lecture series will be opened by Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA, an Honorary Research Fellow of History from Manchester Metropolitan University.

The lecture by Dr Lindfield, who is an expert in medieval and modern Gothic architecture and furniture, will be live on Zoom at 6pm on May 15.

The lecture will also look into the fascinating history of the Radclyffe Bed, a furnishing of the hall that was created in the 16th century.

The Radclyffe Bed. Copyright: Peter N. Lindfield. Permission for use from: Peter N. Lindfield.

Dr Lindfield said: “Ordsall Hall is one of the oldest and most important pieces of historical domestic architecture surviving today in Manchester and Salford.

“With a history dating back to the medieval period, the building pays witness to centuries of use, re-use and changes in function.

“Despite this important and varied history, the building is almost entirely Gothic – this is seen in architecture, woodwork, furniture, and heraldry.

“Located on a thoroughfare to Salford Quays, the building records centuries of modern history also that look back to and celebrate the past.

“It is a real pleasure to help celebrate the building’s history and mark 10 years since the hall was restored following a Heritage Lottery Fund award.”

Seventy per cent of the funds raised from the sale of tickets to the event will go directly to the upkeep of Ordsall Hall and its community events.

Ordsall Hall. Picture credit: Lucy Fieldhouse

According to Ordsall Hall’s website, the lecture will explore “the great late-medieval hall, whose quatrefoil decoration was so influential in the design of other timber-framed buildings in the vicinity.

“The talk also assesses its modification and partial reconstruction in the nineteenth century – you will get a real flavour of the building’s dramatic history.”

The Salford landmark is the oldest surviving building in Salford and the third oldest in Manchester after the Cathedral and Chetham’s Library.

Tickets for the lecture series can be found here.

For more information on the history of Ordsall Hall watch our video below or visit the Ordsall Hall website. 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *