Stancliffe Hall


Stancliffe Hall is a grade II Listed building on Whitworth Road in the settlement of Darley Dale, near Matlock, Derbyshire.

Early history

In 1817, Magna Britannia reported that
Herbert Greensmith Beard was living there in 1792 when he passed on manuscripts from the Columbell family which were made for Roger Columbell of Darley Hall who died in 1605. That document records that Herbert Greensmith sold the hall in 1799 to William Heathcote for ten and a half thousand pounds. Heathcote was then in Batavia in the colony of Demarara. Heathcote's brother, John Heathcote and his family were living there in 1817. John died unmarried on 13 January 1821 aged 72 and left the Hall to his nephew Andrew Heathcote Shepley. Andrew changed his name to Andrew Heathcote Heathcote and was the principal owner of land in Darley holding.

Whitworth

Stancliffe Hall was bought in 1854 and again built, of stone, by the engineer Joseph Whitworth in the Tudor style. He and his wife moved into the Hall in 1870 when Whitworth had largely retired and was using his energies to direct the quarrying of stone from Whitworths quarry. The gardens were designed by Edward Milner; the architect for the 1872 renovation was T. Roger Smith, followed in 1879 by Edward Middleton Barry. A noted feature was the rockery, which Sir Joseph Whitworth had constructed out of a sandstone quarry.
It is reputed that Joseph Whitworth's wife died in an accident in a lift in the house.
In 1891, the hall was the property of Lady Whitworth, but it was occupied by Alfred Clay.

Stancliffe Hall School

Early in the 20th century, the site became a private school with many scholars pre-1911 originating from Llandaff in Wales. The school was founded by the Rev. Ernest Owen who had been the headmaster of Llandaff School. Owen was renowned as an outstanding headmaster who believed in honour and that no boy ever left his schools.
In 1930 the School was bought by David Hugh Kirkman Welsh.

Noted students and staff

The hall was mentioned briefly in An Elegy written in 1672 by Leonard Wheatcroft. More recently after Stancliffe Hall School closed in 2001 the site was used to film Stig of the Dump which was released in 2002.