Description

SK 21 NW PARISH OF CATTON CATTON ROAD
2/1 (West Side)
2.9.52 Catton Hall
GV II*

Country house. 1741, designed by William Smith for Christopher
Horton, with minor C19 and C20 alterations, plus new wing of
1907 by Sir T G Jackson. Red brick on ashlar basement with
gauged brick and stone dressings, plus first floor stone band.
Hipped graduated slate roof with brick ridge stacks and moulded
stone cornice with blocking course over. Nine bays by seven
bays with double pile plan and three storeys plus basement.
Main front facing the garden has three centre bays slightly
advanced with flight of stone steps across the full width. To
east side the basement has three original C18 glazing bar sashes
and to west there are two similar sashes, those to west are
almost encased by a pathway which has been added to the front
and those to east have an early C19 bracketed stone balcony over
with simple ironwork balustrade. Ground floor has a central
Tuscan columned doorcase with triglyphed frieze, dentilled
pediment and C19 double glazed doors. To either side there are
four full height plain sashes, all with C19 pelmets. Above
there are nine plain sashes and above again there are nine
2-light casement windows. All windows have flat gauged brick
arches with stone keyblocks. North front has central five bays
recessed with flight of stone steps up to central doorcase,
flanked by three C18 glazing bar sashes to east and two similar
to west, at basement level. Above, the central door has double
glazed doors below a divided overlight, and to east there is one
small pane cross window and three glazing bar sashes. To west
there are two similar sashes and a wide central window to the
advanced western bays. Above there are nine glazing bar sashes
and above again there are seven similar sashes and two 2-light
casement windows. As on main front all openings have flat
gauged brick arches with stone keyblocks. West and east fronts
have similar windows. East front has early C20 brick and stone
porch to centre and west front has three centre bays advanced.
Attached to north-east corner is the 1907 addition which is also
of red brick with gauged brick dressings, and has a steeply
pitched hipped slate roof with belled eaves, dentilled cornice
and panelled brick ridge stacks. South elevation has first
floor brick band with rusticated pilaster strips, between the
bays, below and flat pilasters above. Ground floor has four
glazing bar sashes and above there are four similar windows with
gauged brick aprons, all openings have flat brick arches. Above
again there are four large roof dormers with glazing bar sashes,
those to either end with segmental pediments and those to centre
with triangular pediments. Good quality contemporary interior
has wide open well staircase with turned balusters on closed
strings, solid newels, wreathed and ramped handrail and dado
panelling to opposite wall. Above, the landing has a
plasterwork ceiling with central eagle rose and to the top of
the stairs there are moulded semi-circular headed arches with
large keystones. Central entrance hall has original fireplace
with pedimented overmantle and matching panel on opposite wall,
both flanked by plasterwork sconces, also moulded shouldered
doorcases with cornices to side walls and similar pedimented
doorcase to back wall, those to side walls with overdoors
decorated with plaster musical instruments; ceiling has grid of
beams with moulded plasterwork. Drawing room to west side has
original panelling, shouldered doorcases with moulded cornices
and an early C19 marble fireplace with inlaid jasper to the
jambs. Morning room to east side of hall has original
panelling, fireplace with pedimented overmantle, cornicing and
doorcase. Present columned entrance hall is an early C19
arrangement. Main first floor bedrooms have C18 cornicing, dado
rails and. fireplaces. There is a knopped baluster back
staircase up to the second floor, which originally continued
down to the basement. Two second floor rooms have C17
panelling, probably re-used from an earlier house, and C18
fireplaces. There is also C17 panelling in basement rooms.
Sources: Country Life, March 17, 1960, p566, and 'The Country
Seat', edited by Howard Colvin and John Harris with essay on
Catton Hall by Andor Gomme, p157, 1970.

Listing NGR: SK2061315359

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Catton Hall at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5054167

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

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)