Ashfurlong Hall

Ashfurlong Hall in Sutton Coldfield is a Grade II* listed country house on the north side of Tamworth Road, on the green-belt edge of Birmingham. A late Georgian front hides an older core, because the building absorbs a small house from the early 16th century.

What is Ashfurlong Hall?

The hall grew from a modest farmhouse. The first cottage was one of the stone houses associated with Bishop Vesey's Sutton settlement. Later owners added another stone bay and then a brick section, making it a comfortable home for a prosperous yeoman. Around 1800 it was turned into a gentleman's residence with a large new front in a Regency classical manner, roughly tripling its size.

The remodelling was commissioned by Thomas Vaughton, a wealthy man from Tamworth who needed a substantial house in Warwickshire to qualify as High Sheriff, an office he held from 1804. The new range used stone quarried nearby, and the property was still known as Ashfurlong House in 1890.

What can you see from the road?

The main elevation has two storeys with sash windows under lintels. A gently projecting central bay carries a pediment on Doric pilasters. The entrance is a stone porch with more Doric pilasters, a balustraded parapet and a round-headed doorway, and a corbelled cornice runs under the eaves. A single-storey semicircular bow ends the left side, while a modern rusticated wing extends to the right. Walls are sandstone and roofs are tiled.

At the back, the 16th-century block survives, with a three-light stone mullion window on the first floor that has since been blocked. The grounds also hold the Ionic Pavilion, listed separately at Grade II: a single-storey square building with a four-column Ionic portico and a small lead dome, whose front was taken from Old Moore Hall.

Where does the name come from?

Ashfurlong was a medieval name for a wide district. After Henry VIII's borough charter of 1528, Sutton residents could enclose parts of the commons and take up farms of up to about 60 acres at a small rent. Both the Ashfurlong land and neighbouring Wheatmore Farm were claimed this way. By 1824 the Ashfurlong estate was about 30 acres of parkland and gardens. Vaughton also rebuilt the farmhouse across the road in stone, with battlemented walls, so that it looked like a romantic castle ruin.

Can you visit?

This is a private residence rather than a museum, and the sources record no regular public opening. The practical way to see it is from Tamworth Road, respecting the private grounds. By car it is about half an hour from central Birmingham, and Sutton Coldfield station has trains to Birmingham New Street.

Frequently asked questions

What is its listing grade? Grade II*, first listed on 18 October 1949 (entry 1075807). The Ionic Pavilion has its own Grade II entry.

How old is the house? The main building dates from the late 18th century and incorporates a small early 16th-century house. The Regency-style enlargement came around 1800.

Who rebuilt it? Thomas Vaughton of Tamworth, who became High Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1804.

Can I go inside? There is no regular public access. You can view the setting from Tamworth Road.