Crewe Hall

Crewe Hall
Crewe Hall: south face and entrance gates
Location	Crewe Green, Cheshire, England
Coordinates	53°04′59″N 2°23′56″W / 53.083°N 2.399°W / 53.083; -2.399
Built	1615–36
Built for	Sir Randolph Crewe
Restored	1866
Restored by	E. M. Barry
Current use	Hotel and restaurant
Architectural style(s)	Jacobean
Website	crewehallcheshire.co.uk
Listed Building – Grade I
Official name	Crewe Hall
Designated	20 January 1975
Reference no.	1138666[1]
Location in Cheshire

Crewe Hall is a Jacobean mansion located near Crewe Green, east of Crewe, in Cheshire, England. Described by Nikolaus Pevsner as one of the two finest Jacobean houses in Cheshire,^[2] it is listed at grade I.^[1] Built in 1615–36 for Sir Randolph Crewe, it was one of the county's largest houses in the 17th century, and was said to have "brought London into Cheshire".^[3]

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 fire in 1866, and is considered among his best works.^[4] Other artists and craftsmen employed during the restoration include 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 Capability Brown, William Emes, John Webb and Humphry Repton, and formal gardens were designed by W. A. Nesfield in the 19th century. On the estate are cottages designed by Nesfield's son, William Eden Nesfield, which Pevsner considered to have introduced features such as tile hanging and pargetting into Cheshire.^[5] The stables quadrangle is contemporary with the hall and is listed at grade II*.

The hall remained the seat of various branches of the Crewe family until 1936, when the land was sold to the Duchy of Lancaster. It was used as offices after the Second World War, serving as the headquarters for the Wellcome Foundation for nearly thirty years. As of 2019, it is used as a hotel, restaurant and health club.