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The builder of the house was John Batt, a recarved stone with the date 1583 probably indicates the date of construction. The estate had been purchased by his Halifax-born father, a receiver of rents to the important Savile family, who resided at Howley Hall, in the nearby town of Batley. Oakwell Hall was immortalised in literature by Charlotte Brontë in her novel Shirley. Friends of Oakwell HallFounded in 1988, the Friends of Oakwell Hall and Country Park are a voluntary support group for the Manor House and its surrounding 110 acres of country park. Whilst many join simply because they appreciate the beauty and tranquillity of the Hall and park, others join because of the 'hands on' opportunities available on site. Friends work closely with the Head Ranger and staff at Oakwell and provide assistance both inside and outside the Hall.
The HouseThe blackened gritstone building was built to the usual post-medieval plan of a central hall block flanked by crosswings. The entrance to the building is still through a porch and screens passage at the 'lower' end of the house. Oakwell Hall passed into municipal hands in 1928 and today it is owned by Kirklees Cultural Services, and managed by the volunteer group 'Friends of Oakwell Hall' (see section above). The interiors were restored to their early-17th century condition during the time the Batt Family inhabited the Hall. This was done with the aid of an inventory of 1611. During the restoration the original painted panelling of the Great Parlour and the Painted Chamber was revealed from under many layers of varnish and paint.
Great HallThe imposing Main Hall was originally two-storeyed but in the mid-17th century John Batt's grandson removed the ceiling and inserted a gallery and a large mullioned and transomed window. The Hall was a main thoroughfare for the house linking the two wings and would have been the hub of domestic life. It was also intended as a reception room for visitors, tenants and businessmen and was ideal for large gatherings. It is sparsely furnished and uncluttered to create a large open space, practical to use and impressive to visitors. The table is placed at one end of the room as it would probably have been towards the end of the seventeenth century, rather than in its earlier position of importance in the centre of the room. The size of the room is intended to impress visitors entering the house.
Great ParlourThis was the most important room in the house in the early seventeenth century. According to the inventory of 1611 it had some of the best furniture, and contained the Batt’s collection of maps. In the 1630s the Batts added a magnificent plaster ceiling, and they later had painted the oak panelling including a landscape scene above the fireplace. Most of the original panels have survived though several are recent reproductions replacing those lost and decayed. The painting technique known as scumbling was a popular way of decorating rooms to create an air of warmth and grandeur. Few examples of this decorative work survive today.
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