History

The House, taking its name from the medieval motte and bailey castle, some masonry of which stood until c.1818 and probably used in the construction of the house, which was built in 1817 by Francis Fowke Snr., and was altered by the replacement of the crenellated roof with the present form c.1820-30 by his son, Francis Fowke, Jnr. Further altered in 1929 when S porch and E doorway were altered, and the rendering stripped.

Exterior

A small late Georgian country house of local coursed stone, with slate roof. Two storeys, and in part 3 storeys. The plan consists of a range of reception rooms facing SW, with ancillary rooms to the rear and service rooms placed around a courtyard open to the NE. Main reception range is articulated with corner and central pilasters rising to a central pediment, and an open pedimented porch on columns replacing the original curved porch, with glazed door with sidelights and fanlight, and an internal radial fanlight surviving from the original arrangement. Paired 8-paned windows over centre and twelve-paned sashes to both floors. Central plat band. The roof and side walls project at both ends, the walls finishing as square columns on dies, rising to pediments, between which the end elevation is bowed, all work of the 1820's, and has a 4-light mullioned and transomed window, the upper lights margin glazed. Rear ranges have similar 12-paned windows on 2 floors and gable stacks, but a tall stair window with intersecting glazing bars in the stair well. A secondary entrance has a Tuscan portico, and round headed opening over a 6-panelled door with radial fanlight.

Interior

Not accessible at the time of inspection (July 1995). Recorded by photograph of 1966 in the National Monuments Record as having depressed moulded arches on reeded imposts around the open stair hall, and 6-panelled doors. Plaster friezes and fluted pilasters in hall and on staircase, which has wrought iron vertical patterned balusters.

Reasons for Listing

Included as a good example of a late Georgian country house.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29487597

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

• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990