Longford Hall (Derbyshire)

Longford Hall is a 16th century country house at Longford in Derbyshire. It is a Grade II* listed building [http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=81255&resourceID=5 English Heritage: architectural description of listed building] ]

The Manor was built in the 16th century for the de Longford family. On the demise of the last of the de Longfords about 1620 the manor passed to Sarah Reddish who married Clement Coke, younger son of Sir Edward Coke, Lord Chief Justice of Holkham Hall, Norfolk. Their son Edward was created a Baronet in 1641 ( see Coke Baronets and was High Sheriff of Derbyshire in 1646. ["A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Extinct and Dormnant Baronetcies of England Ireland and Scotland" Burke and Burke (1844) p 123]

In 1727 the estate passed to Wenman Roberts the nephew of the third and last Baronet. Roberts, who also inherited Holkham Hall later, changed his name to Coke. His son Thomas William Coke was created Earl of Leicester in 1837. [ [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/Report.aspx?compid=50731 'Magna Britannia' Vol 5 (1817) Longford p 192-202] ]

The house was much altered in about 1762 by architect Joseph Pickford to a H-plan; two substantial three storeyed, fifteen bayed ballustraded wings linked by a single storey central block.

A fire destroyed the central cross block and much of the upper storeys. It was restored in 1960 but the upper storey is now only a facade. [ [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/719457 Longford Hall] ]

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