Description

SK 10 NW SWINFEN AND
PACKINGTON C.P.

6/99 Swinfen Hall and
attached steps
26.2.82 and terraces (Formerly listed as
Swinfen Hall)
GV II*

Country house, now an hotel. Dated 1755, by Benjamin Wyatt with substantial
late C19 and early C20 additions. Red brick with stone plinth, details
and dressings; flat roof invisible behind balustraded parapet; corniced
brick central stacks. Baroque style (and as a consequence late of
period) with a rectangular plan now extended to the south east. Entrance
front: two storeys on a plinth, rising to dentilled cornice with attic
storey over, again corniced under the parapet which is divided into
6 bays by dies and with a central panel rising to a segmental pediment
and bearing a cartouche with the coat of arms of the Swinfens. The
facade is divided into 2,3,2 bays by giant Ionic pilasters which rise
to breaks in the main cornice and continue as strips beyond; the glazing
bar sashes (rising from 18,18 to 6 panes on the attic) have moulded
stone surrounds with lugged and keystone heads and consoled cills,
the attic windows are only lugged top and bottom. Central entrance
has a flat-dentilled pediment on triglyph frieze and Tuscan columns;
double doors of four panels each and approached by a short wide flight
of steps. A shorter, underplayed side elevation bears the date on
the keystone of a basement door, inscribed "SS/1755" the details are
similar but the plinth storey is not faced in stone. Garden front:
of identical layout to the entrance but lacking such extensive detail:
there is no central cartouche, the windows have keystone centres to
gauged brick heads and consoled cills (except the centre first floor
window which is as on the entrance front). The centre three bays
on the ground floor are taken up by a late C19 semicircular bay projection
of three French casements and balustraded parapet; the spaces between
windows are occupied by terms carved in Portland stone. From the
garden front the bulk of the C19 extension can be seen. It projects
3 bays from the left-hand side and is fronted by 6 bays, all more
widely spaced than the C18 work but of intendedly similar height and
detail. The garden front of the C18 house and the C19 block are connected
by a raised balustraded terrace in Portland stone with two concave
flights of steps to the north east. Interior: the C18 interior was
substantially altered in the late C19 but in an interpreted C18 manner,
some material may have been reused. The entrance leads into a hall
occupying half the depth of the house, the central three bays and
two storeys (the plan therefore divided into two apartments either
side and one in front): elaborate plasterwork, the ceiling particularly
very floral, dentilled cornice and lugged panels below, expressing
the floor division; pedimented door surrounds; elaborate fireplace
to right with swan-necked pediment to overmantel, consoled mantel
and lugged marble fire surround. The hall is dominated not by a staircase
but a balcony running across the entrance axis and with turned balusters
on a dentilled cornice and frieze which sits on fluted Ionic columns.
Under the balcony round-arch entries lead at centre to the saloon at
left to the dining room and right to the stair hall. Dog-leg stair
with 3 turned balusters per tread, open string with carved console
tread ends; ramped angles and curtail scroll. The landing has a stained
glass serlian window by Dudley Forsyth of London. The library leading
on to the dining room are both typical of the house with C18 style
details including panelling, doorcases and cornices. The saloon is
more obviously C19 particularly with the circular end leading to the
garden. The C19 block contains a large dining room in the C18 style
and a huge ballroom, fully panelled with a columnated recess of storey
height and with solid wood columns. The first floor contains much
fine carved work and a pair of early C20 bathrooms with extensive and
complete fittings. B.O.E., p.271-2.

Listing NGR: SK1344605979

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Swinfen Hall at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q10375401

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

• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)