Description

SK 11 SW
11/96

LONGDON C.P.
LYSWAYS LANE (south side)
Hanch Hall

27.2.64

GV
II*
Country house. Essentially an early C18 house of at least two phases incorporating earlier material; important additions and alterations of circa 1840. Red brick (Flemish bond); hipped plain tile and slate roofs; brick ridge stacks. Aligned northeast/southwest facing southeast. Circa 1840 a porte cochere was added to the south-west, a stair wing to the north west and a ballroom and servants wing to the north east.

South east elevation. Two storeys with dentilled eaves cornice and balustraded parapet. 2:3:2 bays with brick pilaster strips at the corners; central break of circa 1730 with quoins of unequal length and a pediment containing a blind keyed oculus. Twelve-pane glazing bar sashes with moulded sill strings and lintels stepped as voussoirs. Those to the ground floor have lugged and moulded architraves with panels below, in common with the windows of the central break. The first floor window have strapwork aprons of circa 1840. Central first floor window with Gibbsian surround. Central half-glazed door with rusticated surround. Attached ballroom and servant's wing set-back to the right. In front is an L-shaped stone loggia of circa 1840 with round arches, raised keystones and hood moulds. Set-back to the left is porte cochere.

South west elevation. Three storeys at the left hand side with storey bands. The principal feature of the south west front is a two storey porte-cochere of three bays. Semi-circular arches with strapwork moulded columns and raised keys with lions' heads. Strapwork balustrade. The porte cochere was built in front of an C18 brick porch to each side of which was added three-bay arcade. Immediately to the left of the porch an expanse of ashlar masonry is visible behind one of the arches. This is the chimney stack of a C16/C17 house. The porch has a six-panel door with bracketed and pedimented doorcase and a rectangular overlight. To the right of the door is a narrow loophole which served a butler's lodge.

North-west elevation. Completely remodelled circa 1840. Crosswings of two storeys and attic with finialed Dutch gables flank a slightly recessed three-storey range. Central stair wing with stone plinth, quoins of unequal length and a strapwork balustrade, surrounding a louvred belvedere with lead covered dome, carrying the inscription "Mox. Nox". Stone mullioned windows with raised surrounds, dentilled string beneath third floor windows. Massive four-light stair window with two transoms. Service wing of circa 1840 attached to the left. Two storeys with dentilled eaves band; 2:1:2 windows in a similar style to those of the main house.
Interior. The main entrance by way of the porte cochere leads into a vestibule with C18 oak panelling incorporating a door which gives access to the butler's lodge. Entrance hall. Early C18 wall panelling incorporating fluted pilasters. The raised panels are alternately raised and square headed and are gradually reduced in width away from the vestibule to create a false perspective. A three-bay arcade of semi-circular arches on strapwork moulded pillars screens the main staircase from the entrance hall.

The Oak Room. C17 oak wall panelling incorporating doors. In the north east wall is a C19 four-centred archway with panelled spandrels and ogee-moulded surround which formerly gave access to another small panelled room. Corner fireplace with bolection moulded surround. C19 oak window shutter on chains. The Morning Room. Plaster ceiling with early C18 cornice of dentils, egg and dart, Greek key and cyma recta moulded bands. C19 inner border decorated with gilloche and paterae.

The Drawing Room. Early C18. Large plaster wall panels with heavy moulded surrounds, five six-panel doors, each with lugged architrave, dentilled cornice, and pediment with festoons over. Plaster ceiling cornice with modillions and egg and dart. Marble fireplace with fluted key.

The Dining Room. Plaster ceiling revealing the underlying structure of interlocking beams. The beams have gilloche ornament along their spines; panels between the beams with dentils, egg and dart, and Greek key mouldings. Early C18 marble fireplace. Towards the north east end of the room screening the entrance is an arcade of two red scagliola pillars with a frieze of paterae around the caps.

The Ballroom. Circa 1840. Mahogany wall panelling with raised panels. Marble fireplace with paired Tuscan columns. Musicians alcove at the north east end. Three massive foliated cast iron ceiling roses, possibly made at Coalbrookdale. In the servants' wing is a fireplace with C19 oak surround incorporating earlier material including a C17 frieze with exuberant foliage, cornucopias, fruit and acorns; and two carved panels depicting the story of Noah, probably late C15. C19 open-well main staircase with closed string, strapwork balustrade, strapwork moulded newels with ogee finials. Fully panelled staircase wall incorporating some C17 panelling. C16/C17 frieze of segmental pointed panels with Gothic tracery and crenellated piers. Above the staircase is a C19 wooden rib vaulted ceiling.

At first floor level two of the front rooms have an C18 plaster ceiling cornice. At mezzanine level directly above the entrance passage the walls are timber framed, probably C16. Leading to a room at this level is a C19 staircase with reused C18 balusters. The room formerly communicated with a second room in the north west corner of the house, with C17 oak panelling and a C16 sandstone fireplace with Tudor arch, sunken spandrels and ogee-moulded surround. Directly above this room is a reused roof truss, C15 or C16, with slightly cambered tie beam and a king-post which appears to replace the original vertical member; the principals are set in from the ends of the tie beam. Elsewhere, mainly pegged king-post roof trusses. Extensive brick vaulted cellars with vaulted passage or drainage channel leading into the park.
Listing NGR: SK1004213970

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17557753

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

• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)