History of ordsall

Ordsall Hall is a historic house and a former stately home in Ordsall, an area of the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, in the northwest of England. It dates back over 800 years, although the oldest surviving parts of the hall were built in the 15th century. The hall has been put to many uses – a family home, working men's club and school for clergy amongst them – and was opened to the public in 1972, as a period house and local history museum. The hall is a Grade I listed building.

The most important period of Ordsall Hall's life was as the family seat of the Radclyffe family, who lived in the house for over 300 years. The house has been owned by Salford City Council since 1959.


Ordsall Hall is a formerly moated Tudor mansion, the oldest parts of which were built during the 15th century, but there has been a house on the site for over 800 years. The manor of Ordsall came into the possession of the Radclyffe family in about 1335, but it was not until 1354 that Sir John Radclyffe established his right of inheritance. The manor of Ordsall was described in 1351 as a messuage, 120 acres (48.6 ha) of land, 12 acres (4.9 ha) of meadow and 12 acres (4.9 ha) of wood.[2] There was probably already a house on the site in 1251,[3] enlarged by Sir John and his son Richard, and including the addition of a chapel.

The Dutch humanist and theologian Erasmus stayed at Ordsall Hall in 1499, and described it thus:

...the floors are made of clay and are covered with layers of rushes, constantly replenished, so that the bottom layer remains for 20 years harbouring spittle, vomit, the urine of dogs and men, the dregs of beer, the remains of fish and other nameless filth.

—Erasmus, as reported in Cooper (2005)
The associated cruck hall, which could have been similar to the one still existing at Samlesbury Hall, near Preston, was replaced by the present Great Hall in 1512, when Sir Alexander Radclyffe became High Sheriff of Lancashire for the first time. The new hall is typical of others built at that time in the northwest, for example at Rufford Old Hall, and is certainly one of the largest, although the absence of a wall fireplace is unusual for that period. As at Rufford, the hall is distinguished by an elaborate roof structure, displaying the skills of its builder. The large oriel bay, with the slightly later small private room above, may be an early addition.

Further alterations and additions were made to the hall in the 17th century. A modest brick house was built in 1639 by Sir Alexander Radclyffe at the west end and at right angles to the timber framed building, which may have been the home of his bailiff since by then Ordsall was no longer his main residence; the house was later joined to the main building. Sir Alexander was apparently already in financial difficulties, and this expenditure, followed immediately by the Civil War during which, as a Royalist, he suffered imprisonment and financial hardship, left his son and heir John in such straitened circumstances that in 1662 he had to sell the hall to Colonel John Birch.

At the end of the 17th century the estate was sold to the Oldfield family of Leftwich, near Northwich, and again in 1704 to John Stock, a trustee of Cross Street Chapel. His son’s executors sold the property in 1756 to Samuel Hill of Shenstone, Staffordshire, on whose death two years later it passed to his nephew, Samuel Egerton of Tatton. The Stocks were almost certainly the last owners to live in the hall, for the two wings were probably occupied by tenants by 1700, the Stocks retaining for their own use the central section consisting of "a large hall, lounge dining room, a chapel, six rooms on a floor, with brewhouse, large courts, stable, etc".

Various families of substance continued to occupy the hall until 1871. In 1780 Joseph Ryder, a cotton merchant and former Boroughreeve of Manchester, shared the building with Richard Alsop, who was the innkeeper of the famous Bulls Head inn in Manchester for about 12 years from 1770, and later became a cotton manufacturer. The land was occupied for many years by the Mather family who were cowkeepers and butchers. After Richard Alsop’s death in 1814, the lease was taken over by John Markendale, whose descendants continued to live in the hall until 1871.

The last quarter of the 19th century saw the hall, once moated and surrounded by fields and woods, engulfed "in mean streets and industry. Its future was uncertain until 1875, when it was let to Haworth’s Mill for use as a working men’s club. The Great Hall was cleared of the inserted floor and later partitions and became a gymnasium, while provision was made elsewhere for billiards, a skittle alley and bowling green. The hall was bought the Earl Egerton of Tatton in 1883, and restored during 1896–8, by the Manchester architect Alfred Darybshire at a cost of £6,000. At the same time, St Cyprian’s church (demolished in 1967) was built in the north forecourt and a rectory formed out of the east end of the hall, where a new servants’ wing was added on the south side (demolished in 1962). The clergy school transferred to Egerton Hall in 1908 as the Manchester Theological College, but an associated men’s social club survived until 1940. During the Second World War the hall was used as a radio station.

Salford Corporation purchased Ordsall Hall in 1959, from the executors of the Baron Egerton of Tatton. After major restoration work, it was opened to the public in April 1972, as a period house and local history museum.