New future for Stanley Hall

FOUR YEARS AGO Stanley Hall in Cheadle Hulme was in danger of deteriorating into just another ruin; of historical interest but too dilapidated to do anything about.

But now the hall – dated 1662 – has been saved from such an ignoble fate and is the comfortable home of a Persian family.

The owner, who asked to remain anonymous, bought the black and white timbered hall, its two out houses and the acre of land in which they stand, at an auction for £16,000, three years ago.

Standing empty

At the time it had been standing empty for about a year. His wife liked the house so much that he had decided to put in a bid, with the intention of renovating and extending it so that he, his wife and three children could move in.

Stanley Hall was first sold to the Society of Friends in 1786 by an Elizabeth Mulliner for a small sum of £1,200. It is 'listed' as being of special architectural and historical interest.

In his book 'A History of the Old Parish of Cheadle', author Fletcher Moss says that he imagined that the name may have been derived from John Stanley, the son of Sir John, for when is mother married Sir Urian Brereton for her second husband and they built Handforth Hall, he would naturally expect to have a house of his own out of the estates.”

Whilst it was unoccupied, vandals smashed the windows, and a squatter broke in and tried to light a fire in one corner, but fortunately no real damage was done.

To start with, the owner was trying to get planning permission to demolish part of the kitchen and rear of the building, which is a bit newer – and that's when the problems began.

Haggles with the local authority went on for years but eventually work began and was completed early in August, and a relieved family furnished the house and made it their home.

The owner said it's taken me three years to make the hall a home, and that's been a long time. At one time there was a lot of vandalism to the extension at the back of the hall.

“The building has cost me three times more than an ordinary house.”

The hall has been painted in fresh black and white colours and from the main Stanley Road, you cannot see the extension at the back.

Into one

The hall itself consisted of four rooms, two downstairs and two upstairs, but they have all been knocked into one main living room. The original timber has been preserved and makes a fine background for the furnishings.

The extension at the rear consists of a hall, kitchen, dining room / living room, three bedrooms, a bathroom and toilet.

The original front door has been retained in the hall. The family are also planning to have the grounds landscaped next spring, but at the moment are content that all the main work has been finished.