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The Great Britain Guide

Historic houses · West Midlands

Ancient High House

Free admission♿ Wheelchair: limited

Ancient High House — historic house in Stafford, England, United Kingdom.

Ancient High House, historic houses in Staffordshire

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1 h–2 h
Nearest railway station
Stafford · 0.5 km
  • Free entry
  • Family-friendly
  • Limited wheelchair access

About

Ancient High House is a historic house in the United Kingdom — typically a country seat, manor, or town house with notable architecture or history. Heritage designation: Grade II* listed building. Wikidata describes it as: "historic house in Stafford, England, United Kingdom". Coordinates: 52.8062°, -2.1172°.

Photo gallery

From the Wikipedia article

The Ancient High House is an Elizabethan town house located on the main street in Stafford. The house was constructed in 1595 by the Dorrington family, from local oak, which anecdotally came from the nearby Doxey Wood, and is the largest timber framed town house in England.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

Many of the original timbers bear carpenter's marks indicating that the frame was pre-assembled on the ground and the joints numbered to aid the on-site construction. Some timbers have additional joint housings cut into them, which would suggest that they have been reused from an even earlier structure. It was not unheard of for a building to be dismantled and rebuilt at a different location - hence the expression to 'up-sticks', which means to move house. Richard Dorrington constructed the house in 1595 and he died two years later, leaving the house to let for several years. The Ancient High House was probably the "house which I now dwelle in" which Francis Dorrington (Mayor of Stafford)…

Visiting

The Ancient High House was opened as historic house museum in June 1986 with a collection of period room furnishings and displays, including the English Civil War, Edwardian and Victorian eras. The Ancient High House adjoins 'Shaw's House', built around 1545, and the 'Swan', with Elizabethan origins, while close by may be found St Chad's Church and the Collegiate Church of St Mary's, Stafford.

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
52.8062, -2.1172
County
Staffordshire
District
Stafford
Parish
Stafford, unparished area
Postcode
ST16 2AS
Parliamentary constituency
Stafford
Established
1595
Nearest railway station
Stafford0.5 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Ancient High House?
Ancient High House is in Staffordshire, the West Midlands, United Kingdom (postcode ST16 2AS), in the parish of Stafford, unparished area.
When was Ancient High House built?
Built or established in 1595.
Who owns Ancient High House?
Ancient High House is owned by Stafford Borough Council.
Is Ancient High House a listed building?
Ancient High House is officially recognised as Grade II* listed building listed.
Is Ancient High House free to visit?
Yes, Ancient High House is free to enter.
How do I get to Ancient High House?
The nearest railway station is Stafford, about 0.5 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode ST16 2AS.