High Ercall Hall

Hamo Peveril bought High Ercall in 1098 and it remained in the Peveril family until 1271. It then passed to the Ercall (or Arkle) family, who held it until 1391. The earliest recorded building on the site was a 12th-century Manor House built by the Ercall family. This was protected by John de Ercall in the 13th century by the construction of curtain walling and defensive towers. The manor then passed to Thomas Newport in 1391 and the present house was constructed by the Newport family in the 16th century. It passed to Francis Newport who, between 1601 and 1620, had a larger mansion house built alongside. Newport employed a stone mason called Walter Hancock in his building projects, and on…