The Frederic Shields Gallery
Built in the 1510s, this room was part of Sir Alexander Radclyffes (d.1549) major rebuilding of Ordsall Hall.
This room has had many uses - from the private chambers of the Radclyffes in the 1500s and 1600s, to an artist's studio in the 1870s; a billiard room for the workers of nearby mills in the late Victorian period, to a place of study and socialising for trainee priests in the early 1900s.
Between 1872 and 1875, Ordsall Hall was home to the noted artist and friend to the Pre-Raphaelites, Frederic Shields. He used this room as his studio, benefiting from the amount of light that would flood in from the bay window.
Today this gallery is home to an interactive exhibition that takes you on a journey through the hall's history - from the landscape it was built in, through to it's uses over the centuries. With something for all ages and abilities, the exhibition features films, hands on interactives, a virtual tour, an Anglo-Saxon logboat and some fluffy sheep!
In this exhibition, find out why Ordsall Hall has survived for so long and meet some of the other people that were lucky enough to live there.
Other highlights in this gallery include:
- Two restored stained glass panels dating from the 1500s
- A recreated viewing window onto the Great Hall below
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This page was last updated on 13 September 2011
