Minworth Greaves: A Reconstructed Medieval Hall House in Bournville
Site at a Glance
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval, Modern
- Civilizations
- British, English
- Site type
- Domestic
- Remains
- House
On this page5 sections
History
Minworth Greaves is a reconstructed medieval hall house in Bournville, United Kingdom, incorporating surviving timbers from a building originally erected at Minworth, near Sutton Coldfield. The original building is thought to date from the fourteenth century or earlier, perhaps as early as 1250.
Reconstruction and later use
By the time George Cadbury acquired the building, it had fallen into extreme disrepair, with only a skeletal structure left. Renovation took place between 1929 and 1932, and Laurence Cadbury rebuilt it in 1932 beside Selly Manor. That manor house had itself been dismantled and reconstructed by the Cadburys by 1916. The rebuilding of Minworth Greaves was overseen by architect William Alexander Harvey.
An oak table from Crook Hall in Lancashire was brought to Minworth Greaves for display in 1921; Crook Hall has since been demolished. Minworth Greaves is owned by the Bournville Village Trust, forms part of Selly Manor Museum, and is used for exhibitions.
Remains
Reconstructed hall
Standing beside Selly Manor, the hall is timber-framed with plaster infill. Its older section is a two-bay hall supported by a cruck frame, a roof structure formed from paired curved timbers. The main roof uses an oak trunk split lengthwise into two curved blades. A narrower bay with a gallery was added later. The reconstruction was shaped by what was then thought to be the appearance of a cruck-framed hall. Its windows differ from those of the original building, which were smaller, set higher, and made from cloth soaked in animal fat rather than glass.
Oak table
The oak table displayed at Minworth Greaves is dated to 1630. It is 18 feet (5.5 metres) long and has eight legs. Its inscription reads, “an arelome to this house forever. P.C.”
