Description

This list entry was subject to a Minor Enhancement on 16/07/2020

TL 9694
12/77

STOW BEDON
Breckles
Breckles Hall

(Formerly listed as Breckles Hall, STOW BEDON)

21/ 7/51

GV
I
Country House. Built of brick with partly timber framed interior from c.1550, completed 1583. Plain tiled roof. Restored 1900 by Detmar Blow with additions 1908 by Sir Edwin Lutyens for the Hon Edwin and Mrs Montagu. Edwin Montagu, a Liberal MP, came from a prominent Anglo-Jewish financial and political dynasty, and became the third Jew to serve in the British cabinet.

E plan though first designed as H plan. Two storeys and attic. Windows generally casements with leaded lights and original glass, double spring catches and hinges. Almost all windows in house of similar type and condition, the timber windows with hollow moulded mullions, brick ones with ovolo mouldings. West front balanced round central porch by Blow rising full height with stepped octagonal corner turrets. Four-centred doorway below three-light reused C16 cross mullioned timber casement. Gabled roof. Similar casements to north and south porch walls. One 5-light timber cross casement to each floor of main wall. Gabled roof containing two gabled dormers with timber cross casements.

North cross wing with one four- or five-light timber cross casement to each floor including attic, each retaining hood moulds. Gable head originally carried octagonal pinnacles at eaves and apex, but only bases remain. One dormer as main range. South cross wing similar except ground floor window is early C18 sash with glazing bars (Morning room), the hood moulds are removed but pinnacles survive. South front dominated by two external chimney breasts gabled back to roof, carrying two or three octagonal stacks respectively. Irregular fenestration, including three early C18 sashes with glazing bars. South door is C16 complete with hinges, catches and locks. Two square overlights, also C16. Gabled roof with two dormers and details as front. South-east gable stepped with coping tiles and obscured by projecting window bay through full height with subsidiary stepped gable head. Rendered brick cross casements to each floor of five or six lights, with two-light casements in return. Main east facade orientated by row of seven gables at attic. One low side window to chapel (now lavatory) and 24 assorted brick and timber cross casement windows regularly arranged, all C16 with glazing, catches and hinges as before. Four gabled dormers with timber casements behind this range light long gallery at attic level and are earlier than east facade. Gabled roof with ridge stacks: square to left; triple octagonal to right; rebuilt north end stack. Two groups of branching water pipes and heads by Lutyens 1908.

Service wing to north in Elizabethan style by Lutyens 1908. One storey and dormer attic with four large cross mullioned timber casements below four gabled dormers with similar windows. Two groups quadruple octagonal stacks. Late C20 conservatory. Service wing west front of five attic gables through two storeys and windows as before. North cross wing of main house gabled to left against which is late C19 two storey window bay crenellated at parapet with rendered brick cross casements. C16 timber casement in attic gable. C19 door below two C16 casements at first floor and external stepped chimney breast at right.

Interior: interior doors, cupboards, panelling and minor fittings C16 unless otherwise stated, mostly with original catches and hinges, the latter H, H. or cockshead. Great Hall to right of porch and kitchen to left opened into one room and panelled in C19. One original four-centred fireplace to each room. Chapel, now lavatory, with ovolo moulded doorcase and door. Library, now office, partly panelled with fireplace overmantel on pinch necked pilasters carrying paired beaded pilasters to top rail enclosing decorated frieze and figure sculpture. Drawing room with close studded timber framed interior walls with middle rail. Morning room refurbished early C18 with wide framed panelling now boxed over with hardboard. Fine moulded fireplace and timber cornice. Study fireplace: square plinth below fluted caryatid pilasters to bressummer with four acanthus brackets supporting mantel. Overmantel in three bays defined by two free standing close spiral-twist balusters with figure heads and two engaged pilasters with figures in C16 dress. Two acanthus brackets above carry deeply coffered top rail. Three central coffered panels with carving, that to centre bay George and the Dragon.

Main staircase is dog leg through two storeys with solid treads in timber framed stair well. Close studded framing with middle rails. Long gallery timber framed, now divided into individual rooms gabled out to east at attic level. Middle staircase is newel winder with ball turned balusters at gallery level reached through fine panelled door with incised decoration below pediment with scrolled overthrows and vine scrolled frieze.

Francis Woodhouse room with four-centred moulded fireplace. Complete panelling of 1583 with arcaded frieze. Overmantel in three bays are modified wall panels separated by Ionic pilasters to top rail, each bay articulated by semi-circular arch with punched billet decoration carried on modified Doric pilasters. One strapwork cartouche in each bay inscribed 15 - 83 - F.W. Wall painting of Bacchus on barrel of wine in Great Hall by Rex Whistler 1944. C16 documentary evidence of Priest's hole, possibly in Francis Woodhouse room, seen by Pevsner but not found by Inspector.

This house is of national importance on account of almost complete survival of wooden and metal-work fittings.

Listing NGR: TL9618994495

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17535100

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

• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)