Stanley Hall

Originally named Midgley Hall, the original building stood on the site of the present one which was built in the Fourteenth Century by William Midgley and Maude his wife. From the Midgley family the Hall then passed on to the Chaloners of Guisborough. The last in the Chaloners line married into the wealthy Savile family. The marrige was between Katherine Chaloner, daughter of John Chaloner and Thomas Savile in the 1570s. Thomas and Katherine Savile’s son John came to live at the Hall and married Grace Cockson, Their son Edward took over the Hall in 1590 and married Katherine Copley of Batley. They had a son John and daughter Grace. Grace married Gervase Hatfeild and the two of them became owners of Wood Hall and Midgley Hall.

In 1596 there was a dispute over who owned Midgley Hall between Grace and her uncle George Savile of Haselden Hall in Wakefield. George Savile claimed the Hall to be his and produced a deed entailing the Estate on male heirs. The controversy was referred to Sir John Savile of Howley Hall and Mr Neville of Chevet; they gave their verdict in favour of George Saville. After the decision Gervase and his wife Grace left Midgley Hall and demolished the nearby Wood Hall, building Hatfeild Hall on the site. Sir John Savile gave them all the required oak needed to built the new Hall from his woods at Howley.

The Savile family were influential throughout West Yorkshire at this time, George Savile sold the Hall to Thomas Pilkington of Snapethorpe in 1603. When the Pilkingtons moved to Chevet Park near Newmillerdam in the 1750s, the Hall was let to Sir William Dudley. In 1759 on the night of February 19th an accident occurred and the Hall was burnt to the ground with the exception of two rooms in one of the wings. These rooms contained some old plaster panelled ceilings. The Hall was partly rebuilt by the owner at the time Sir Michael Pilkington. The Hall then sold in 1802 for £23,500 to Benjamin Heywood who practically rebuilt the Hall and erected the wall around the Park, evidence of the wall can still be seen running down Stanley Hill today on the right hand side of Aberford Road. He also made vast improvements to the gardens.

The Estate was then auctioned in 1853 for £52, 500. This time it was bought by Thomas Shaw who had made his money as a successful railway contractor during the 1830s and 1840s. He constructed the Macclesfield Canal, the Leeds and Selby Railway and railway tunnels such as those at Chevet, Woodhead, Morley and Woolley. By 1862 the Hall was being let to tenants until it was finally sold to the West Riding County Council in 1899 on behalf of their asylums sub committee. In 1901 the Hall opened as a home for 60 mentally sub normal boys. In 1944 the Hall was let to the Ministry of Health to accomadate nurses that were needed at Pinderfields hospital that was during the war an emergency hospital. Since then the Hall has remained a hostel for nurses.

Photo by Shaun Parkin

More photos of the Hall

Stanley Hall around 1900 whilst it was in use as a boys asylum

The following photos were taken by Shaun Parkin in 2010

More to follow