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A background on the history of Northorpe and Mirfield
As early as the Roman invasion of AD 43, there are historical associations with the area around Northorpe Hall. The Brigaites tribe who inhabited the region of the West Riding had as their queen, Cartimandua. Unlike leaders of neighbouring tribes, Cartimandua decided on a policy of friendship with the Romans who built forts at both Meltham and Kirklees, and also several roads in the area. One of these roads is reputed to have run from the fort at Kirklees through Nunbrook, Lee Green and Northorpe towards Heckmondwike. If this was so, it is likely that Northorpe Lane formed part of the route and, indeed, old paving flags alongside the road next to the Hall may even have been of Roman origin. When the Romans withdrew in AD 410, the Anglos and Saxons allowed the roads to fall into disrepair and few traces of them still remain.
Various local place names bear witness to the invasion of the Danes and Norsemen in the 9th and 10th centuries. The name “Northorpe” has its roots in this period of history, “Thorpe” being Norse for “settlement”. The Feudal system, dating from the time of the Norman conquest in 1066, is a period of some confusion in Mirfield history. Under this system, the whole country was owned by the King, who let out areas of land to tenants in chief. These areas were divided again into manors which were the property of “demesne” or sitting tenants. Although in many areas it is easy to determine the boundaries of any one manor, this is not true of Mirfield, which is referred to either as one manor or as several, including Hopton, Blake Hall and Northorpe. The local lord of the Manor may have lived near the site of the present Northorpe Hall.
The Northorpe Family
According to “The History of Mirfield” (Pobjoy 1969), the name of Richard de Northrop received mention in the Doomsday Book as early as 1323, and in 1389 Thomas de Northrop appears on the poll tax list as “Mercator”. Certainly when the Mirfield Parish Register came into being in 1559, the name Northorpe appeared very regularly spelled in various ways, such as, Northroppe, Northrop, Northorp, and Nawthorpe. It was as the seat of the Northorpe Family that the Hall was originally built in 1564, although it later became the property of the Armytage family of Kirklees. In 1565 the Armytages also acquired possession of Kirklees Priory, which had been dissolved in 1539 (and is still owned by descendants of the same family). It is quite possible that some of the glass from the Priory windows was used for Northorpe Hall. The Northorpe family remained in the area after being bought out of their family seat, where they pursued trades as tanners and clothiers.
The Barn
In the nineteenth century the area of Northorpe, and Mirfield in general, was still predominately farmland – as seen from the Ordinance Survey map of 1860. The Barn is a good example of a 17th Century double aisled barn, using king-post construction and with most of the original timbering still intact. In the centre of the barn is the flagged threshing floor. When threshing was still a manual activity the corn was spread over the floor and beaten with a flail to separate the chaff from the ears of wheat. Barns in the 17th century were designed so that they could be extended and aisles added. One of the additional aisles would have been used as a mistal, or milking parlour. The stones on which the upright timbers rest are known as stylbats. They were used to prevent the timber from becoming damp. The holes in the barn gables were for ventilation. Against one wall would have been a rat-ladder. This was used where grain crops were stored, and had holes spaced far enough apart to prevent rats climbing up to the grain.
The Hall and Outbuildings
Northorpe Hall was first divided at the end of the 17th century, when part of it was bought by Josiah Shear, and the remainder by Edward Thomas. From then on the Hall remained a divided property until 1979 when, for the first time for nearly three centuries, it was brought together again under the single ownership of Northorpe Hall Trust. The history of the Northorpe buildings is by no means straightforward due, not only to them having been extensively rebuilt on more than one occasion, but also to the early division of the property, which resulted in the two halves of the Hall developing along separate lines. Evidence from timber re-used in the roof indicates that these date from approximately the 15th century, although these may have been brought from elsewhere. Since the building is listed as dating only from 1564, this seems likely to have been the case. It is probable that there was a much earlier house on the same site. The Hall was originally designed and constructed as a 3 gable house with a porch situated roughly in the middle. It remained as one building throughout the 17th century and it was probably not until the 18th century that the left hand gable was rebuilt around the original structure.
The exterior
It is likely that the Hall was originally timber-framed, in keeping with the tradition of the time, but during the textile boom of the 17th century it was clad in stone, since this made it more imposing and carried more prestige. This soft sandstone has been partly erased over the years, especially the drip-courses above the windows and doors. However, there is still a well preserved drip-course to be seen on the outside sitting room wall at the rear of the building. The porch is a good 17th century example with a porch chamber above it, originally being used as a sewing room or study. The water spouts in the centre of the front wall also date from the 17th century, as do the upper mullions. The bottom ones have been replaced, probably when the cellar/dairy was added, which altered the level of the front of the house.
The Interior
An example of how extensively the Hall has been rebuilt over the years is the way the beams in the entrance hall run in the opposite direction to those in the sitting room, indicating how the rooms have been altered. A cast-iron fireplace, dating from the late 18th or early 19th century, concealed the imposing fireplace that is now a feature of the entrance hall. The date of 1704 and initials E.T. probably relates to when the hall was originally divided by Edward Thomas at the beginning of the 18th century. The main front door, made of oak planks, probably dates from the 17th century and still has its original strap-hinges. The door is made in two halves, using vertical planks on the front and horizontal ones on the back. The panelling in the entrance hall was hidden by a staircase, and was only uncovered when the hall was refurbished in readiness for its present role, as a base for the Northorpe Hall Trust’s project of therapeutic work with children and families.
The Trust’s architect, Keith Harnden, took particular care to uncover and re-instate as much of the building’s history as possible, whilst designing a therapeutic resource which would meet the needs of such a highly specialised project. The priority for the Trust is to provide a much needed resource for children and families, but the Trustees make every effort to ensure that Northorpe Hall and its history are preserved.