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The Georgian period town house is a Grade II listed building. The description given by British Listed Buildings reads as follows;
"KNUTSFORD
SJ7478 TOFT ROAD
792-1/3/107 (East side)
18/01/49 No.1
Hollingford House
GV II
House, now shop. Mid C18 with early C20 additions associated
with conversion to shop premises.
Elevation to Marcliff Grove (formerly garden front): 3
storeys; 3-window range with full-height bow window to left,
with paired 12-pane sashes to ground floor, tripartite sash
above, and 9-pane sash window to upper storey. Doorway now
blocked to right, with long stair window above. 12-pane sash
window to ground floor, 16-pane to 1st floor and 9-pane to 2nd
floor to right of doorway. All windows have segmentally-arched
brick heads. Delicately moulded modillion eaves.
Elevation to churchyard formerly the entrance front. 3-window
range with advanced pedimented central entrance bay, with
panelled rebates to doorway now glazed over. Two 12-pane sash
windows to right, and 1 to left. Additional bay to left with
doorway and 9-pane sash window over.
Elevation to Toft Road has 2-storey lean-to shop premises,
with shop front to ground floor, and wide show-room windows to
first floor.
INTERIOR: has retained several original features, including
staircase with slim turned spindles, moulded tread ends and
dado panelling, cast-iron fireplaces, and reeded doorcases
(not all in original positions).
HISTORY: the house was formerly the home of the Holland
family, and has literary associations with Mrs Gaskell's
'Cranford' and 'Wives and Daughters'.
Listing NGR: SJ7521178463" SOURCE: (
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"
Hollingford House was built c.1760 on the sight of an earlier dwelling and was originally known as ‘Church House’
Prior to Arthur Lee purchasing the property for £1500 in 1929, the property had extensive gardens that stretched down to King Street and towards the station on Toft Road. This land was sold as a separate lot for £1000, which sadly Arthur Lee couldn’t afford at the time."
"
Dr Peter Holland lived and worked here in the 1800’s. He had a general practice treating the local gentry such as the Egertons and the Gregs of Styal Mill.
His niece was Knutsford’s famous authoress Elizabeth Gaskell (b.1810 d.1865) who wrote many novels including ‘Cranford’ ‘Wives and Daughters’ and North and South’.
She spent time here as a child and her cousins Lucy and Mary were thought to be the models for the characters of ‘Miss Matty’ and ‘Miss Jenkyns’ in her famous novel ‘Cranford’."
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