Description

SP 94 NW CHICHELEY HALL LANE

3/17

3.3.52 Chicheley Hall

-

GV I

Country House. 1719 - 21 for Sir John Chester Bt., built by Francis
Smith, design attributed to Thomas Archer. Red brick with elaborate
stone enrichments. Flat lead roof behind parapets, panelled brick
chimneys with stone cornices. 2 storeys with semi-basement and high
attic above main cornice. S. front of 9 bays with fluted corinthian
giant pilasters at corners and between 2nd and 3rd bays, above which
the cornice sweeps up in curves each side of the 3 bay centre, with
elaborately carved frieze. and giant pilasters on tall plinths,
Central door with surround of fluted pilasters, cornice and segmental
pediment supported on reversed curving sections. Sash windowswith
stone architrave surrounds, keyblocks and gauged brick aprons, those
in central section with semicircular arched heads. Attic storey has
panelled pilasters above main order, supporting small frieze and cornice
at head of parapet. E. front of 7 bays with Doric giant pilasters at
corners and flanking central 3 bays. Central door with architrave surround
and broken pediment with central roundel. Central attic window has
arched head. N. front has projecting 3 bay wings each side with gauged
brick giant pilasters and arched shell niches to each central bay, with
statues to ground and 1st floors. 4 bay recessed centre with 2 tall
staircase windows with semicircular arched heads. W. Front of 5
irregular bays with brick pilasters each side, arched staircase window to
right breaking through cornice. Modern glazed porch. Interior: Entrance
Hall with Corinthian surround to front door and triple arched screen
with marble columns leading to staircase, said to be designed by
Flitcroft when workingfor Kent. Ceiling painting attributed to Kent.
Fine staircase, and 3 panelled rooms on E. front with Corinthian
pilasters flanking fireplaces, First floor room with Jacobean over
mantel, perhaps from the earlier house. Attic contains Sir John Chester's
'secret' Library with shelves behind doors disguised as panelling.
The garden setting of Chicheley Hall together with its auxiliary
buildings listed below is largely contemporary, having been designed
by George London, and includes the southern avenue approach, the south
forecourt, the formal water garden on the east side and wall garden
on the north side.
See Country Life vol XVII p 594, LXXIX pp 482, 508,535 (Arthur Oswald)
and Vol CLVII no 4050 pp 378-381 (Marcus Binney) Records of Bucks
XVii 1961.

Listing NGR: SP9054545859

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Chicheley Hall at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5095977

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.

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