DOI Artikel:
Jones, Sydney R.: Haddon Hall: an old English home
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19430#0019
HADDON HALL
far more substantial than all that accidents of time or age can bring. It
is a valuable record of human life and work, shewing the progress of
civilization from one generation to another; shewing, also, how our an-
cestors planned their homes, and the way in which the craftsmen satis-
fied the demands of practical requirements and standards of taste. In
fine, the origin of the English house of to-day, and the germs from which
it has sprung, can be traced in the walls of Haddon Hall.
Although the external walls were strong enough to ensure the safety of
the inhabitants, Haddon Hall was never a fortified house within the true
meaning of the term. It has therefore been singularly free from the
ravages of internal strife and war. During the long period of occupa-
tion by its owners, the Vernon and
Manners families, no disturbing
events from the pages of English his-
tory were connected with it. Conse-
quently the house has escaped mis-
fortune, and has come down to us a
perfect specimen of domestic archi-
tecture. It is architecture of a very
precious kind, representing that
native growth of building which
naturally developed out of practical
needs and local conditions of mate-
rial and labour. The building of the
house extended over many cen-
turies, and the details of its erection
are given in Mr. Cheetham’s excel-
lent book on the subject.* The ear-
liest walls date from the eleventh and
twelfth centuries, and at that distant
period a house of considerable size
evidently existed. During the four-
teenth century, however, great
building operations were under-
taken. The old house was appar-
ently reconstructed, the great hall
and offices were built, and the main
features of the plan were developed
into their present form. The next
150 years saw further additions to
the house, notably the erection of
*Haddon Hall, by F. H. Cheetham, 1904.
far more substantial than all that accidents of time or age can bring. It
is a valuable record of human life and work, shewing the progress of
civilization from one generation to another; shewing, also, how our an-
cestors planned their homes, and the way in which the craftsmen satis-
fied the demands of practical requirements and standards of taste. In
fine, the origin of the English house of to-day, and the germs from which
it has sprung, can be traced in the walls of Haddon Hall.
Although the external walls were strong enough to ensure the safety of
the inhabitants, Haddon Hall was never a fortified house within the true
meaning of the term. It has therefore been singularly free from the
ravages of internal strife and war. During the long period of occupa-
tion by its owners, the Vernon and
Manners families, no disturbing
events from the pages of English his-
tory were connected with it. Conse-
quently the house has escaped mis-
fortune, and has come down to us a
perfect specimen of domestic archi-
tecture. It is architecture of a very
precious kind, representing that
native growth of building which
naturally developed out of practical
needs and local conditions of mate-
rial and labour. The building of the
house extended over many cen-
turies, and the details of its erection
are given in Mr. Cheetham’s excel-
lent book on the subject.* The ear-
liest walls date from the eleventh and
twelfth centuries, and at that distant
period a house of considerable size
evidently existed. During the four-
teenth century, however, great
building operations were under-
taken. The old house was appar-
ently reconstructed, the great hall
and offices were built, and the main
features of the plan were developed
into their present form. The next
150 years saw further additions to
the house, notably the erection of
*Haddon Hall, by F. H. Cheetham, 1904.