Grimshaw Hall

Grimshaw Hall in Knowle, Solihull (West Midlands) is a half-timbered manor house from the Elizabethan era and one of the finest of its kind in the Midlands. It holds Grade I status, the highest level of protection on the National Heritage List for England. It is a private home, so there is no ticket office or opening schedule. Think of it as an architectural landmark to admire from outside.

What is Grimshaw Hall?

The house stands on the edge of Knowle, roughly 15 miles from central Birmingham. Older parish histories place its construction around 1560, while the official listing text describes an early 17th-century house, so both dates appear in print. The name comes from the Grimshaw family, who lived here from about 1620 until around 1765. Historic England first listed it on 5 December 1949 (list entry 1076714).

What makes the architecture special?

The structure is a timber frame with richly patterned beams, the gaps between them filled with whitewashed plaster. A tiled roof rises in five uneven gables carried on brackets. The windows are small-paned lattice casements, and red-brick chimney stacks stand above the roofline. The ground plan follows an E shape: a central hall block flanked by two cross-wings, with a two-storey porch in the middle. This layout was characteristic of English country houses in the later 16th century.

Can you visit Grimshaw Hall?

Interiors are not open to the public. The house sits well back from the road and is screened by hedges for much of the year. The best time to see it is winter, when the hedgerows along Hampton Road, the route between Knowle and Hampton-in-Arden, lose their leaves. The property is private, so view it only from the public road and do not enter the grounds.

A royal footnote

Queen Mary, consort of George V, called at the hall in 1927, an episode often mentioned in accounts of the house.

How do you get there?

From Birmingham, drive towards Solihull and Knowle. Knowle has a railway station on the line between Birmingham and Leamington Spa, and Hampton Road is a short walk or ride from the village centre.

What else is nearby?

Combine the visit with a stroll through Knowle, which retains several other historic buildings, including its medieval parish church. The hall lies about half a mile north of the church, which makes a short walking route easy to plan.

Frequently asked questions

Can I go inside Grimshaw Hall? No. It is a private residence and the interiors are not open to visitors.

When is the best time to see it? Winter, when bare hedges along Hampton Road reveal the front of the house. In summer it is almost entirely hidden.

How old is the building? Sources give either around 1560 or the early 17th century. Either way it is a prime example of Elizabethan and Jacobean timber-framed architecture.

How long does a visit take? Ten to fifteen minutes is enough to view the house from the road. Allow longer if you pair it with a walk around Knowle.