Portal:Cheshire/Selected article/16

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Crewe Hall: south face and entrance gates

Crewe Hall is a Jacobean mansion located east of Crewe. Described by Nikolaus Pevsner as one of the two finest Jacobean houses in Cheshire, it is listed at grade I.

Built in 1615–36 for Sir Randolph Crewe, perhaps using drawings by Inigo Jones, Crewe Hall was said to have "brought London into Cheshire", and it was among the county's largest houses in the 17th century. The hall was extended in the late 18th century and altered by Edward Blore in the early Victorian era. It was extensively restored by E. M. Barry after a devastating fire in 1866, and is considered among his best works. The restoration also employed J. Birnie Philip, J. G. Crace, Henry Weekes and the firm of Clayton and Bell. The interior is elaborately decorated and contains many fine examples of wood carving, chimneypieces and plasterwork, some of which are Jacobean in date.

The park was landscaped during the 18th century by Lancelot Brown, William Emes and Humphry Repton, and formal gardens were designed by W. A. Nesfield in the 19th century. The stables quadrangle is contemporary with the hall and is listed at grade II*.