Stanwick Hall, Northamptonshire

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Coordinates: 52°19′49″N 0°34′13″W / 52.3302°N 0.5702°W / 52.3302; -0.5702 Stanwick Hall is a largely Georgian grade II* listed building located in the western end of the village of Stanwick in North Northamptonshire.[1][2]

History[]

The house was originally constructed in the C17,[3] possibly earlier. Evidence of this original building is scant but survives:

  • The cellars/basement predate the house constructed above, the south elevation of which features a pair of dateable C17 3 light stone mullion windows
  • This is cooberated by a Victorian pencil sketch, which depicts a central doorway into the cellar / basement of the same era as the extant mullion windows either side (doorway now blocked, with no external trace visible)[4]
  • A 1722 "notice to lett" for the original house [5] offers few clues to the form of the original building, other than "four rooms on a floor", which interestingly, is carried over into the current building, described exactly as such in 1802.[6] This is most likely a coincidence, but may hint at extensive remodelling (where internal walls were retained,) rather than demolition and a complete 1740s basement-up new build. The 1722 description of the rest of the property is broadly similar to later for sale or to let notices - Barns, Stables, Brewhouse and Dovehouse, good Garden planted with Wall Fruit, and a Cherry Orchard well planted, of about 6 Acres. Also about 24 Acres of other inclos'd Land, all adjoining to the said House.
  • The presence of full-height C17 panelling with frieze decorated with scrolls in the central first floor room [3] would also appear to be a significant, dateable remaining feature of the original house. However, as is explained below, the house suffered a major fire on April 2, 1931, with only the bare walls remaining.[7] Either the effects of the fire were exaggerated & the paneling is a remnant of the original house, or it was taken from another building and fitted during the rebuild following the fire, or even during the 1740s construction phase.

The Hall as it appears today was built in 1742-1743 for James Lambe (d.1761)[8][9] by William Smith (1705-1747) at a cost of £750 (about £150,000 in modern terms.[10])

William Smith was an acclaimed Architect and Builder and was the son of Francis Smith of Warwick. William Smith was involved as architect, builder or mason in many major projects, including the Radcliffe Camera, Catton Hall, Kirtlington Park, Thame Park and Stoneleigh Abbey, on which he worked with his father. Stoneleigh Abbey was immortalized by Jane Austen in her novel Mansfield Park, in which Stoneleigh Abbey becomes Sotherton Court.

After the death of James Lambe, his son advertised Stanwick Hall for sale on several occasions. The sale notice showed Stanwick Hall (a modern, stone-built capital mansion), a coach house, two dove houses, two barns, three 3-stall stables, two other stables with convenient outbuildings, a dog kennel and boiling house with constant running water. It included 30 acres of rich pasture in three closes (Nether Close, Dove House Close and Upper Close, called the Cherry Orchard). There were 15 acres at Stanwick Pastures, to the east of the village and a further 97 acres of arable, ley and pasture ground in the open fields around the village.[11]

At the time of its reconstruction, Stanwick Hall was adjacent to what was then the main road into Stanwick from the west, which ran between the main house and outbuildings to the immediate north of the house.[12]

In 1931, there was a major fire that started in one of the lower rooms. The owners escaped and no one was killed but the building was gutted. The building was placed on the English Heritage "At Risk" Register,[13] with fungus growing on damp walls, roof tiles broken and roof timbers in danger of collapsing at any moment.

The building was purchased in 2007. A major restoration project started by the new owners was the subject of a BBC Restoration Home programme in 2011.[14]

Occupants[]

Known occupants of Stanwick Hall include:

References[]

  1. ^ The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire (1961 Nikolaus Pevsner; 1973 revised Bridget Cherry; 2013 with Bruce Bailey) ISBN 978-0-300-18507-2
  2. ^ A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840 (H Colvin) ISBN 0-300-07207-4
  3. ^ a b https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1192263[bare URL]
  4. ^ George Clarke's sketches held by Northamptonshire Records Office
  5. ^ Stamford Mercury newspaper, 1 November 1722
  6. ^ Notice to lett 1802 Northampton Mercury newspaper, Saturday 28th August
  7. ^ Northampton Chronicle and Echo - Thursday 02 April 1931
  8. ^ History of Fairford Church: In Gloucestershire, 1763
  9. ^ An Account of the Parish of Fairford (1791 R & R Bigland)
  10. ^ Bank of England Archived 2014-02-05 at WebCite
  11. ^ a b Northampton Mercury, 17 September 1791
  12. ^ C19 Tithe map of village shows "New Road" to the north of the Hall, which became the new route of the main road into village from the west.
  13. ^ English Heritage At Risk Entry
  14. ^ [1], BBC Restoration Home
  15. ^ Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette, 20 January 1870
  16. ^ Northampton Mercury, 3 February 1883
  17. ^ Northampton Mercury, 2 April 1915
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