Former Dodworth Hall Park

Dodworth Green Road, Dodworth, Barnsley

Park or garden

Coherent areas of land designed and/or managed for leisure purposes.

Asset type

Former park and gardens of a country house with surviving landscape features

Age

Whilst the origins of development on the site are unknown, the existing park and surviving buildings date to the late 18th to early 19th century.

Rarity

Great Houses with associated parks and gardens were not uncommon in the Barnsley area from the end of the 18th century, owing to the increase in the newly wealthy benefiting from the industrial development of the region. Many such places have, however, been lost to demolition and development; whilst Dodworth has lost its house the surviving grounds are of regional importance.

Architectural and Artistic Interest

The park is not open to public, but from available views can be seen to comprise even pasture with spaced single and clumps of trees including native deciduous and imported coniferous trees. The outer border of the park to the north and east is bounded by hedgerows, whilst that between the park and the hall site is shown as a curving line indicative of a ha-ha. Whilst simple in appearance, the parkland represents a surprising survival of an example of picturesque style of landscape gardening applied on a relatively small scale. A painting of the hall from the late 18th to early 19th century (in a private collection: https://www.pmts.co.uk/ancestry/tree/Thomas%20Family/individual/I275/John-Twibell) shows the hall with a lawn to its front, with walks framed to its south by ornamental borders of shrubs and flowers. Together with its built components the landscape produces a place of special architectural and artistic interest that, despite the loss of the hall, remains highly illustrative of a coordinated and intentional design.

Group Value

Dodworth Hall was associated with the Thornely family, who also owned the Grade II Listed Dodworth Grange to the north-west. Together with the well preserved setting provided by Dodworth Green, these form an associated and contemporary group that elevates their historical interest.

Historic Interest

Dodworth Hall was, by the turn of the 19th century, the seat of Thornely family who were major landowners in the area. It's earlier history is uncertain although a building is shown on the site of the hall on Thomas Jefferys' map of Yorkshire, 1767-70. The architect and builder of the hall, and the designer of the garden, are unknown. Dodworth Hall is shown on the 1837 Old Series Ordnance Survey map, comprising a square dwelling with three sided courtyard range to its west, and a curving drive to the north. Although the plan is not very detailed, some indication is given of gardens to the south of the hall, and a curving boundary to its east that could be a ha-ha. Further detail is provide by the 1855 Ordnance Survey map which illustrates Dodworth Hall as attached to the east of a courtyard of ancillary buildings, with a drive from the hall towards the north, with a lodge where it joined Dodworth Green. To the south-west of the courtyard ranges was a walled garden, of two parts, with looping walks and planting shown within gardens to the east and north of the hall, including a sundial. The gardens were bounded to their east by a ha-ha, with a large enclosed field beyond. By the production of the subsequent, more detailed, OS survey of 1893 scattered trees were shown across the field, whilst the hall and the courtyard ranges had been extended. The contents of the hall were put to auction in 1892 (Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 17/09/1892), at which time the then Thornely Taylor family may have ceased use of the property as their primary residence. In 1919 the hall was turned over to a hostel by Thornely Taylor's for wounded soldiers and sailors (Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 17.02.1919, 2), and a second sale of furnishings was advertised in 1923 (Penistone, Stocksbridge & Hoyland Express, 11/08/1923, 4). It may have been following the war that the hall was sold to the National Coal Board and later demolished. Dodworth Hall derives historical interest from its association with the Thornely family, and the history of landownership in Dodworth more generally, At present, and its illustrative value in respect of the connection provided by its surviving buildings and gardens to the past residents of Dodworth Green.

Archaeological Interest

The grounds preserve evidence of the age, function and development of Dodworth Hall, which would be of value in furthering understanding of its history and importance. In addition, the site of the demolished hall is undeveloped and has the potential to retain buried remains of archaeological interest.

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14 Jun 2023