Description

WHITTON

SO57SE Whitton Court
582-1/4/181
12/11/54

I

Manor house. Mostly late C16 and early C17, with original core
reputed to date from 1140, extended and restored c1862 and
again 1883. Early brick with ashlar dressings on stone rubble
plinth; painted timber frame with painted infill panels and
stone rubble with ashlar dressings to courtyard walls.
Plain-tile roofs with ashlar-coped gables. Projecting brick
eaves stacks with upper diagonal and spurred shafts and caps.
Original U-shaped plan of main hall to south with cross wings
to east and west, now forming 4 sides around small courtyard,
2 sides of which are C19.
EXTERIOR: 2-storey, attic and cellar. South front with
cyma-moulded stone string courses at first and attic floors.
Central large gabled front block with flanking advanced gabled
bays. Central front with stone 2-mullion window with stone
surround and hoodmould at attic level; 2 large stone 3-mullion
and transom windows in stone surrounds flanked by smaller
stone mullion windows at first floor; similar large window at
ground floor flanked by smaller stone mullion windows with, to
right, projecting rectangular porch with stone mullion window
and studded boarded door to side with ashlar doorcase. At each
end of central front block are projecting gables of cross
wings each with single 2-mullion window in stone surround at
attic level, 2-storey canted bay window projection with
crenellated ashlar parapet over large canted stone mullion and
transom window at each floor. Return walls of projecting
gables have single lights at both floors, some with original
leaded lights.
East return side: central gable with projecting brick stack to
left and projecting gabled bay to right. Central gable with
3-light mullion window to left and 2-light to right at both
floors with 2-light mullioned window at attic level and to
projecting gabled bay. Single-light windows to left of stack.
All windows with cyma-moulded cornice over the window head.
West return side: 3 projecting brick and one integral stone
stack with gable to right. Gable with 3- and 4-light mullion
and transom windows at both floors, one elaborated into a tall
staircase window to left, 3-light mullion window at attic
level. 4-window range of mullion and transom windows to left
with boarded door at ground floor to left.
North side: mostly restored but with ashlar segmental arched
door surround with moulded chamfer and stepped hoodmould.
South wing courtyard side: stone rubble wall with projecting
brick stack flanked by stone 2-mullion and transom windows at
first-floor level and stone mullion window with cusped ogee
heads at ground floor. Pointed arched doorway to left, and to
far left stone mullion windows with cusped ogee heads at
first-floor level.
West wing courtyard side: 4 framed-bays of decorative framing.
Ground-floor close studded frame consisting of sill, studs
with middle rails, and 3 mullion and transom windows in
left-hand bays, posts with console brackets supporting jettied
moulded bressumer; first-floor square framing with decorative
raking-stud framing and 2 mullion and transom windows with
moulded sills on brackets set over decorative panels. Large
central mullioned dormer window at attic level with jettied
bressumer to decorative dormer truss over.
Other 2 courtyard walls are mid C19 brick, with opposing wall
containing post with console bracket as vestige of original
framed wall.
INTERIOR: south wing has arched C15 stone doorway with
double-ovolo-moulded arch leading to screens passage. Hall
screen on one side and panelled wall opposite with very
deeply-set panels with ovolo-moulded heavy ribbed surrounds,
all formed from original square-framed partition walls. Hall
is oak panelled with deep cornice, and ornamented with C17
paintings of vases of flowers, heraldic shields dated 1682 and
a large hunting scene reputed to depict Sir Job Charlton. The
hall is reputed to be a former open hall, now with C17
inserted floor with double-ovolo-moulded bridging beam and
moulded edged plastered ceiling, with possible minstrels
gallery over screens passage. Staircase to west of hall with
toad-back moulded oak handrail and low turned balusters, 2 per
open tread. `White Room' to west of hall with complete painted
C17 panelling and plastered cornice, fire surround with
moulded corniced mantelshelf with brackets and ovolo-moulded
Tudor arched fireplace. `Brown Parlour' to east of hall with
C18 oak panelling, double-ovolo bridging and cross bridging
beams.
Room over hall with C17 panelling and ornate plastered
bridging beams and cornice. Room over brown parlour with
double-ovolo-moulded bridging beams.
West wing: 6-bay double trenched roof. Trusses of straight tie
beam, high collar, and twin low vertical struts. Square framed
cross walls at lower floors with framed former doorways
adjacent to posts. Deep chamfered bridging beams with ogee
stops at first floor and ogee chamfered bridging beams at
ground floor.
Brick south front added in 1621 for Sebastian Harvey, Lord
Mayor of London. Sold to Sir John Charlton of Ludford, for his
younger brother Sir Job, who is depicted on the painted hall
panelling.
(Country Life: 1426, 1510; The Buildings of England: Pevsner
N: Shropshire: Harmondsworth, Middlesex: 1958-: 317).

Listing NGR: SO5788373470

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17529776

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

• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)