The Great Hall
The Great Hall is the base from which the house grew and developed. Completed in 1505, it’s a beautiful example of medieval craftsmanship at its best.
The Roof
The fine hammer-beam roof features beautifully-carved and moulded roof arches, decorated with angels bearing armorial shields.
The Walls
The Hall’s east wall is supported by petrified oak trees, the last remnants of the original Saxon hunting lodge. On the north and west walls are large, richly-coloured murals. Family tradition has it that these were painted in the late 16th or early 17th century, and covered over for protection during the Civil War. We do know that they were only re-discovered in 1859, by a family member who damaged the plaster whilst knocking a shuttlecock against the wall.
The Windows
The hall is lit by unusually tall windows. The largest, dated 1480 and nearly sixteen feet tall, was restored pane by pane in 2002 to reveal a glorious array of subtle colours.
The Canopy
At the west end of the hall is an elaborate canopy, a rare wooden version of a medieval cloth of estate. A cloth of estate, draped from the roof, was a way of enhancing the importance of the Lord of the Manor and his retinue as they sat at high table.
The Adlington Hall canopy is said to be the finest in England. It is divided into sixty panels, separated by moulded oak ribs. In the panels are paintings of the shields of the sixty chief Cheshire families of the time. Above the panels are the heraldic insignia of the seven Norman Earls of Chester and the eight Barons, and above those, the shields of England, the Prince of Wales, and Scotland.
The Great Organ
The hall’s most celebrated feature. Read more here.