Description

SP 71 SE HARTWELL HARTWELL

3/89 Hartwell House

25.10.51

GV I

Country house. Early C17 altered and extended C18, including work by
Henry Keene. Ashlar stone, reroofed in Westmoreland slate after fire
c.1960 with modern dormers, stone chimneys, parapet with stone urns,
balustraded to S. front: moulded cornice, modillion brackets to S. front.
front. 2-storeys and attic, with mezzanine in West wing. 1st floor band
to E. and S. fronts. North elevation is jacobean, faced in stone in C18.
7 bays with stone mullioned and transomed windows, those to the outer
projecting bays large bowed oriels with moulded corbels. Projecting
central 2-storey porch with semicircular arched doorway flanked by pilasters,
bowed oriel above with richly carved corbel bracket. 2-storey canted bay
window each side. East elevation mid C18, by Keene. 5 bays of sash
windows with stone architrave surrounds, 2-storey canted bays each end with
pedimented central upper windows, central open doric porch, pedimented
window above. South elevation C18, 11 bays of sash windows, projecting
wings each side with 2-storey canted bay windows, with pedimented central
upper window. 3 central bays slightly projecting, ground floor central
door and flanking windows semicircular arched and set within blank arches.
Pedimented central 1st floor window with semicircular headed niche either
side, cornice heads to outer windows. West elevation rubble stone with C17
mullioned and transomed windows, C18 tuscan colonnaded service entrance to
ground floor. Interior N. porch has stone carved coat of arms of Sir
Anthony Lee, early C18 inner doorcase and door. Great Hall remodelled in
C18 with ornamental plaster wall panels having shouldered corners, swags
over and birds in relief in centre. Chimneypiece with flanking herons
scrolls and overmantel with panel of Apollo. Ceiling has central panel of
lady drawing classical ruins and man with bulls head.
Doorcases with oakleaf friezes, shouldered architraves. Breakfast Room
panelled C20 with old material, C17 carved chimneygiece and overmantel.
Grand Staircase C17 lower flight turned through 90 C20. Closed string, square
newels with strapwork carving, moulded handrail balusters carved as
grotesque forms. Large carved figures to newels representing mythological
characters. East wing all with C18 highly carved ornamental window and doorcases,
skirtings, chair rails, modilhon cornices etc. Drawing Room very fine
decorative plaster ceiling, carved marble chimneypiece. Dining Room
white marble-caryatid chimneypiece. Library Marble chimneypiece with
rococo ornament to overmantel. Original book cases, one with broken
pediment, carved brackets and swags. Vestibule semicircular hall rising up
to roof with doric aedicules, 3 arches to N. wall, band with scroll
ornament, balustrades to 2 landsings, heavily fluted half-domed ceiling,
radiating pattern to floor. Mezzanine Room in west wing has painted
carved Jacobean overmantle and carved panelling with heads. Long Gallery
has dentil cornice and stone chimneypiece. Some other C17 features in
W. wing. 1st floor otherwise plain, attic storey entirely C20 replacement
after fire.
History. Between 1809 and 1813 Hartwell was the seat of the French Court and
Government in exile, the residence of King Louis XVIII.

Listing NGR: SP7960112451

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Hartwell House at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q3127990

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

• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)