Where’s the oldest house in Huddersfield?
The question for #AskExaminer this week was raised by a reader following our recent feature on Grade I listed properties in the town.
According to Huddersfield Civic Society, the oldest property can be found in the Lowerhouses area.
Society chairman Chris Marsden said: “The oldest I know of, in the former Huddersfield borough, is Longley Old Hall, Longley Lane.
“It is possible to live in the Lowerhouses area and never come across Longley Old Hall. It is a rare and hidden jewel.”
The Grade II* listed home is an “architectural goldmine” according to England’s Thousand Best Houses by Simon Jenkins.
A survey by the Yorkshire Vernacular Buildings Study Group revealed that the Hall’s history goes back to at least the 14th century.
Here it was back in December 2013 when it was our property of the week - take a look round!
By around 1500 the old hall was timber-framed, much of which still survives within the stone walls which were added later.
The east wing of the old house may be 14th of 15th century, while the west wing is thought to date from the 15th century. One piece of timber from the west wing has been dated by experts to the 1380s.
It was owned by the Ramsden family from about 1540. The structure is a mix of medieval, Tudor, Jacobean and Victorian building work.
