Description

YORK

SE54NE BISHOPTHORPE ROAD
1112-1/3/1237 (East side (off))
14/06/54 Middlethorpe Hall
(Formerly Listed as:
MIDDLETHORPE
Middlethorpe Hall)

II*

Country house, now hotel. c1700 with flanking wings of mid
C18; altered extensively in early C19; altered further in C20
and restored c1980. For Thomas Barlow.
MATERIALS: red brick in Flemish bond with ashlar dressings,
rusticated quoins, plinth and storey bands and cornice of
moulded stone: hipped slate roofs and brick stacks, some
external, with stone cornices and weathering. Stone steps lead
to central doors on both fronts. Both fronts have 3-bay attic
centrepieces surmounted by the Barlow crest, an eagle
displayed.
EXTERIOR: front: 3 storeys with basement; 7 bays: set back at
both sides are 1-storey wings. Basement windows are of 2
mullioned lights, some with small-pane windows, others partly
blocked, in plain surrounds. Central pedimented Tuscan porch
with front door of 6 raised and fielded panels and patterned
fanlight in eared bolection moulded surround. Ground and first
floor windows are unequal 15-pane sashes, second floor windows
12-pane sashes. Those in centre of first and second floors
have eared and fasciated surrounds with moulded cornices: the
others plain keyed surrounds with moulded sills. Attic
centrepiece is panelled between pilasters and has moulded
cornice.
Rear: garden front similarly disposed as front, with 1-storey
3-bay flanking wings articulated by Composite pilasters. Two
2-light mullioned basement windows survive in centre block,
others are squat 6-pane sashes, all in plain surrounds: in
wings, windows are similar with segmental brick arches.
Central porch has columns with palm leaf necking, frieze and
cornice, double doors of raised and fielded panelling and
patterned fanlight. Door surround, windows and window
surrounds detailed as on entrance front. Centrepiece panels
enriched with swags. Pilasters in flanking wings are raised on
plain plinth band which forms the continuous sill beneath tall
18-pane sash windows in plain keyed surrounds, one in each
bay. Pilasters carry entablature surmounted by brick parapet
with stone balustrading over each bay.
Returns are of 4 bays and partly obscured by added wings.
Original windows correspond with those on main fronts.
Throughout the house a number of windows are blind.
INTERIOR: ground floor: entrance hall: stone flagged floor;
black marble fireplace in bolection moulded surround; enriched
bolection moulded doorcases with replacement friezes and

doors; fielded panel shutters; dentilled cornice to coved
ceiling.
Room to left: fully lined in 2 heights of panelling between
panelled pilasters; white marble fireplace surround with
overmantel panel flanked by pilasters; doorcase with 8-panel
door: all bolection moulded. Fielded panel shutters.
Stairhall: black and white chequered floor; moulded round arch
to entrance hall on panelled pilasters enriched with applied
floral drops and with pulvinated frieze and moulded keyed
cornice above; two carved doorcases with enriched pulvinated
friezes, cornices and 8-panel doors. Principal staircase rises
to first floor and is supported beneath third flight by fluted
Corinthian column: staircase has fluted column balusters on
carved bulbous bases and heavy moulded handrail ramped up to
square panelled newels: tread ends and handrail are carved
with foliage sprays: stairwell lined with matching panelled
dado.
Room to rear right: white marble fireplace flanked by alcoves:
fireplace has pilaster jambs enclosing drops suspended from
lion mask frieze blocks and cornice shelf enriched with flutes
and paterae; alcoves have similar cornices and fluted jambs.
Doorcases carved with acanthus, with 8-panel doors: fielded
panel shutters; enriched cornice.
Right (west) wing: white marble fireplace with panelled
pilaster jambs and frieze incorporating mouldings of musical
instruments and militaria; door and window cases are simply
reeded; enriched cornice and dado rail; beaded panel shutters.
Delicate plaster moulded ceiling decorations.
Room to rear left: fully lined with panelling, some bolection
moulded, incorporating eared marble fire surround and
balancing round-arched centrepieces flanked by fluted Ionic
pilasters; moulded cornice and frieze are enriched with
acanthus carvings; doorcases likewise carved with acanthus,
one with door of 8 moulded panels, one with 5-panel door;
fielded panel shutters.
Left (east) wing: smaller room is fully panelled.
Secondary staircase rises from basement to attics and has
close string, bulbous balusters, square newels with attached
half balusters and heavy moulded handrail.
First floor. Principal staircase landing has four bolection
moulded doorcases and enriched dentilled cornice to coved
ceiling with central plaster mouldings.
Remainder of interior not inspected. RCHM record rooms on
first and second floors fully fitted with fireplaces,
panelling, cornices, doorcases, etc.
HISTORICAL NOTE: between 1713-15 Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was
a resident in the house.
The house is a fine example of an C18 country house, finely
fitted and remarkably complete.
(RCHME: City of York: London: 1972-: 118-121).

Listing NGR: SE5984948660

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Middlethorpe Hall at Wikipedia
• Middlethorpe Hall official website
• Wikidata Q6841964

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

• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Period property manual, victorian house manual 2 books collection set by ian rock
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)