Darfield New Hall

Has been described as a Possible Pele Tower

There are masonry footings remains

NameDarfield New Hall
Alternative NamesWombwell; Cranford Hall
Historic CountryYorkshire
Modern AuthorityBarnsley
1974 AuthoritySouth Yorkshire
Civil ParishBarnsley

Moated courtyard site, now occupied by a late C18 house. The lower courses of the medieval perimeter wall run along the inner side of the southern moat arm, forming a revetment wall. The gateway lies near the centre of this length of wall, flanked by buttresses bearing the coats of arms of Bosvile and Cresacre. The medieval hall block lay opposite the entrance gate. It is now covered by C18 house, except at the western end, where part of the outer wall, a fireplace and chimney stack survive. The first floor of the medieval west range was formerly timber framed but this was rebuilt in brick in C17 or C18. At one time a stable, the building was remodelled in C19 and has recently been converted into a dwelling. It is possible that this range was once flanked to the north and south by angle towers. These, together with the moat and the perimeter wall, would have rendered the site defensible in case of need. The heraldry on the gateway suggests a construction date some time in the first half of C15. (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

Birch writes southerly example of a 'tower house' (presumably a pele tower) now demolished although two pictures of the tower do survive. The modern name is Cranford Hall but the site was called New Hall in C14 documents.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSE394052
Latitude53.5425987243652
Longitude-1.40553998947144
Eastings439490
Northings405270
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Hey, David, 2003, Medieval South Yorkshire (Landmark Publishing) p. 84
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles and Tower Houses of Yorkshire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 36
  • Emery, Anthony, 1996, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 1 Northern England (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 333
  • Sneyd, Steve, 1995, The Devil's Logbook Castles and Fortified Sites around South Yorkshire (Hilltop Press) p. 10
  • Ryder, P.F., 1982 (paperback edn 1992), The Medieval Buildings of Yorkshire (Ash Grove Book) p. 108-22
  • Hunter, J., 1831, South Yorkshire. The History and Topography of the Deanery of Doncaster in the Diocese and County of York Vol. 2 p. 109-14

Journals

  • Birch, J., Ryder, P.F. and Jones, S.R., 1982, 'New Hall, Darfield' Yorkshire Archaeological Journal Vol. 54 p. 81-98
  • Birch, J., 1981, 'The castles and fortified houses of South Yorkshire' The Archaeological Journal Vol. 137 p. 374-6
  • 1980, CBA Group 4 Yorkshire Archaeological Register p. 5