Description

THE GREEN EAST
1.
5377 Long Melford
Melford Hall (formerly
listed as Melford Hall
and Octagon)
TL 8646 20/414 10.1.53.
I GV

2.
A fine red brick moated mansion standing in a park of about 132 acres.
It was built in 1559 by William Cordell, Solicitor General and Master
of the Rolls. Queen Elizabeth I visited the house in 1578 and during
the wars of the Commonwealth, when it was owned by the Countess of Rivers
it was extensively sacked. Considerable work was done during the C18
and later (1813). It is at present owned by Sir William Hyde-Parker.
The house is built on 3 sides of a courtyard open to the east. (A plan
by John Thorpe at the Soane Museum shows it with an enclosed courtyard).
The west front has 3 storeyed outer blocks with towers on the inner corners
and a 3-storeyed centre block, built as if it was a gatehouse flanked
by smaller towers. The spaces between the towers were originally recessed
but were built out with 2 storeyed blocks in 1813. The towers have 2
storeyed square bases broached to form octagonal towers above, surmounted
by ogee shaped domes with iron finials. The base of the dome has semi-circular
arches with ornamentation and the upper stage of the tower has 8 square
windows with leaded lights. The face of the towers have small square
windows with stone surrounds and leaded lights. The windows are Georgian
double-hung sashes with glazing bars, in stone surrounds. The north and
south wings, extending to the east have massive towers similar in design
to those on the west front. They are built on the inner faces of the
wings not quite at the east end. The east front of the main block has
a central 2 storeyed porch, stone fronted with a central semi-circular
arched doorway flanked by superimposed Doric and Ionic fluted pilasters
with a cornice surmounted by a semi-circular shell ornamented centre piece.
The 1st storey (Georgian) window has a pediment. The classical composition
is unusual for the period of its building. The windows on this front
are 2 and 3 light stone mullioned and mullioned and transomed windows
with leaded lights. Those on the side wings are double-hung sashes with
glazing bars except on the east ends which have 4-light stone mullioned
and transomed windows with leaded lights. The windows generally have
square label moulds. The roofs are tiled, behind parapets and the east
ends of the wings have stopped gables. There are many chimney stacks
with octagonal grouped shafts. The long gallery survives on the upper
storey but little remains of the Elizabethan interior. There are good
C18 and early C19 features including the hall fireplace of circa 1730,
a monumental staircase of 1813 and a library with apsidal ends also of
1813. The Drawing Room has a fine Rococo fireplace.

Listing NGR: TL8665146181

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Melford Hall at Wikipedia
• Melford Hall official website
• Wikidata Q6812225

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)