Gorse Hall

Gorse Hall was the name given to two large houses in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester, England, on a hill bordering Dukinfield. The first house, Old Gorse Hall, can be traced back to the 17th century and it probably dates from before this. Its ruins can still be seen. The Hall was once part of the Dockenfeld Manor held by Lieutenant–Colonel Robert Duckenfield, a Parliamentarian soldier in the English Civil War. New Gorse Hall was built by John Leech in 1836. Today, both houses are ruined. Their grounds cover approximately 35 acres (140,000 m2) of meadow and woodland and are now maintained by a local community group called the Friends of Gorse Hall which has leased the site from the local authority, Tameside. The aim of the Friends of Gorse Hall is to promote the site for leisure, and educational use.