Granted to Hamon de Masci, the first Baron of Durham Massey c1070, the estate passed through the de Bromales before being acquired by the Davenport family through marriage in 1370. The Davenport family were responsible for building the original Tudor house, much of which can still be seen today. The house remained with the Davenports for over 500 years and, during that time, various major alterations were undertaken at Bramall Hall.

As with many Tudor manor houses, Bramall Hall was designed as a quadrangle, enclosing a central courtyard. However, the west wing was demolished c1774 leaving the house with the U-shaped ground plan that remains today. The central section containing the Great Hall is the oldest part of the house. This would have been the main hub of the earlier manor house and, initially, would have been open to the roof to allow smoke to rise up. However, the onset of walled fireplaces allowed for a first floor 'withdrawing room' to be added. Subsequent alterations included the creation of a second floor 'Long Gallery' across the entire width of the east wing. Considered to be potentially unsafe, this Gallery was removed c1815.

Internally, Bramall Hall may appear a little bare, owing to the fact that it doesn't contain the wealth of furniture and ornamentation often found at similar properties. However, it does have something of an unexpected treasure. In the Chapel and the Ballroom (previously the Solar), a series of extremely fine wall paintings can be found. Of these, the wall paintings in the ballroom are the most impressive and are believed to date from the 16th century. The paintings contained within the Ballrooms East gable are believed to have been painted about a century later. Due to their rarity, the wall paintings at Bramall Hall are considered to be of national importance.

In 1869 Bramall Hall passed to John William Handley Davenport who, subsequently, auctioned off the contents in May 1877 prior to selling the house and estate later that year. The purchasers, a property development company going by the name of the Freeholders Company, reduced the estate down from just under 2000 acres to its current size.

In 1883 Bramall Hall was acquired by Charles Neville, who spent much time and money restoring the house and gardens. He was also responsible for the addition of the ornate roof gables that give Bramall hall a slightly more Victorian 'mock Tudor' feel to it.

By 1923 the house was again up for auction, facing the threat of demolition if it remained unsold. No offers were made at the auction but, thankfully, John Henry Davies (the then president of Manchester United Football Club) made an offer of £15,000 which was duly accepted.

He and his wife remained at Bramall Hall until 1935 when Mrs Davies, now a widow, sold the property to Hazel Grove and Bramall District Council. Since that time, the Hall has been enjoyed by many people as part of a public space.