Description

This list entry was subject to a Minor Enhancement on 5 July 2017.

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STONELEIGH
Stoneleigh Abbey

11.4.67

GV
I
Present sandstone ashlar house built on four sides of a central open space roughly coincident with cloister garth of Cisterian Abbey founded in 1155. It embodies some remains of the abbey, several C12 arched doorways and portions of the walls. Also an early C14 undercroft, probably to the dormitory at the south end of the east wing. This is 70' x 28' with a central row of octagonal columns supporting quadrapartite vaulting.

Northern wing (Long Gallery) and east wing date from 1570s but incorporate south transept and south aisle of the monastic buildings. Northern wing largely reconstructed (by Charles S Smith of Warwick in early C19) when Gothic porch built in 1836. East wing of three storeys and attic is a succession of nine gables. Narrow south wing built in 1770. West wing designed by Francis Smith of Warwick between 1714-1726. Rectangle 170' x 45'. The west facade consists of a lower heavily rusticated ground storey, a main floor approached by an exterior staircase, and two upper storeys surmounted by a heavy projecting cornice and balustrade. Each of the two upper storeys has 15 windows; five in the central slightly projecting section; three in each of the recessed sections, and two in each of the slightly projecting flanking sections. Giant fluted Ionic angle pilasters. On the main floor at the head of the staircase is a doorway enriched by a curved pediment and fluted pilasters. On this floor the windows have curved pediments, and on the floor above triangular pediments, and on the top floor no pediments. All windows are sashes with glazing bars and are in moulded architraves with keyblocks.

Interior of west wing contains a range of five State Apartments, a central entrance hall or saloon, flanked by two drawing rooms to north, and by a dining room and sitting room on south. Chapel immediately behind the southern two rooms. Saloon of mid C18 date with very rich stucco work and screens of scagliola columns which divide room into 1 - 3 - 1 bays. Immediately behind saloon is early C18 staircase by Thomas Eboral of Warwick and decorated wall panels and ceiling of c.1764 by Robert Moore of Warwick. Chapel decorated in 1744 with woodwork by George Eboral and Benjamin King, stucco work by John Wright.

Stoneleigh was the seat of the Leigh family, maternal relatives of Jane Austen, who is known to have visited the Abbey and found inspiration for her work.

Listing NGR: SP3184571262

This listing was enhanced in 2017 to mark the bicentenary of Jane Austen's death.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Stoneleigh Abbey at Wikipedia
• Stoneleigh Abbey official website
• Wikidata Q2351592

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 Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6