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Stank Hall Barn is a fifteenth century tithe barn, located in Beeston, Leeds. It is a Grade II* Listed Building, and the Stank Hall site includes Old Hall and New Hall, both of which are also listed as Grade II* buildings. New Hall has suffered fire damage. The name 'Stank Hall' is believed to have originated because of the number of stagnant pools of water in the area.

All the buildings were in use until the 1960s, though have since fallen into disrepair. The barn in particular has attracted attention because of its medieval roots, and work is currently being done to restore and promote the property.

History
The timber-framed barn has undergone Tree Ring analysis, which has dated the barn to the late fifteenth century, to sometime between 1448 and 1490. In medieval times grain needed to be stored on a large scale and was held in barns to protect it from weather and pests. The size of Stank Hall Barn is believed to be reflective of this practice.

The boundary between Middleton and Beeston, not far from the Stanks site, caused a dispute in the 13th Century between William de Grammary and Adam de Beeston. The dispute was settled in 1209, and a boundary ditch was established which can still be seen to this day. After the Wars of the Roses, a lot of royal estates were broken up and sold privately. In the fifteenth century, Rothwell Castle was sold privately and it is assumed that the Stank Hall Barn site, as part of the outlying property tied to Rothwell Castle, would have similarly moved into private hands.

The oldest construction on the Stank Hall site is thought to be a part of Old Hall still containing the remains of a high-status stone garderobe. This garderobe is indicative of a high-status building, as it provided a cleansing mechanism for expensive clothing: garderobes typically included hanging space for clothes made of silk, velvet and heavy wool, where the absorption of ammonia would cleanse them of fleas, moths and other insects. [REF]

The stone building attached to the barn is thought to be a chapel used by Major Joshua Greathead (1616-1684). Greathead fought in Cromwell's army at the Battle of Adwalton Moor in 1644, and was involved in the Farnley Wood Plot of 1663. Early ownership of the property belonged to the Hodgson family, and New Hall is thought to have been built in the early 17th century by Christopher Hodgson, who bought the property in 1609. It was then sold to Thomas Kitchingman, who was Mayor of Leeds at the close of the seventeenth century. In 1795 the property was bought by Robert Dennison, and it was then passed to the Scrutton family. It has since been sold to the Middleton Fire-Clay Company, then finally bought by Leeds City Council.

The site has attracted interest due to its history and the folk legends surrounding the site. A local folk memory has told of roundhouses on the hill above the Stanks Hall site. [REF] There have also been reported sightings of a ghost associated with the property.

Friends of Stank Hall Barn
The Friends of Stank Hall Barn is a group dedicated to the promotion and development of the site. The group holds regular meetings to discuss restoration of the barn and possible uses for the site. The Friends have Facebook and Twitter pages.

Plans for the site
Possible plans for the site include using the barn as a resource for younger people, perhaps for educational purposes. The Friends of Stank Hall Barn aim to keep the site alive and animated with activities Suggestions have included using the site for creative spaces, museums, wildlife parks, medieval herb gardens and tours. [REF]

Publicity
The barn was 'revealed' at an open day in July 2013, and the Friends hope to keep promoting the Barn Project. The barn has also featured on the BBC documentary 'Restoring England's Heritage', presented by the journalist John Sergeant and aired in December 2013.