Description

SO 82 NW HASFIELD -

3/86 Hasfield Court

GV II*

Country house. Ashlar limestone and ashlar limestone facing to
earlier brick and stone building, slate roof, ashlar stacks some
rendered. Built late C17 by John Parker, minor alterations late
C18-mid C19. Extended and refaced 1863-65 by William Baker and
Rev. Ralph Bourne Baker (q.v. monument in churchyard), architect
probably Henry Wood of Hanley. Music room, conservatory and
extension onto east side of house including billiards room added
1885, (architect Waller). Part of extensions built 1885 demolished
C20 causing minor rebuilding of north west corner of main body.
Square plan to main body, projecting porch on south. Music room
and conservatory attached left. 1885 extension including billiards
room rear right. Symmetrical entrance front; 2 storeys and attic
lit by 7 dormers with Dutch style shaped gables and urn finials.
Central gable larger than flanking gables. Projecting porch below,
canted 2-storey bay windows far right and far left. Sash windows
with moulded basket-headed surrounds. Double string course between
ground and first floor windows, modillion cornice below balustraded
parapet. Central stone porch with round headed arches on three
sides. Two engaged banded columns at each corner. Balustraded
parapet with paired urn finials at each corner. Part-glazed C19
door within porch. Music room left, lit by large cross windows
within moulded basket-headed surrounds. Conservatory projecting
forwards slightly left lit by large round-headed windows with
glazing bars radiating out from large round-headed plate glass
central window, circular lights in spandrels. Glazed round-headed
door in shouldered surround at south-east corner. West front:
Tudor-arched door surround (now blocked) with carved figures in
spandrels. Three-light window with carved spandrels left, probably
added 1847-63 by Thomas Fulljames, traces of moulded string between
ground and first floor. Fenestration of east front similar to that
of entrance front without bays or porch. Roof of main body hipped
with central flat roof at centre (formerly drained via a shute down
the centre of house). Cast iron decoration on roof of music room,
lantern roof to conservatory.
Interior: C19 open-well staircase flanked by barley twist
supporting columns. Late Tudor panelling in library reputed to
have been brought from Holdfast Manor near Upton c1885.
Bookshelves inserted within panelling broken by pilasters with
strapwork decoration and Corinthian capitals, single niche above
each column interupting band decorated with carved twin-tailed
mermaids. Pair of blind arches over fireplace. Fragments of
William Morris wallpaper now obscured by books. Former dining room
with C19 panelling, C16 cornice with biblical quotation and the
initials R.P. and D.P. (Richard and Dorothy Pauncefoote, died 1559
and 1568 (q.v.) tomb in sanctuary of church) linked by love knots.
Quotation extended when room enlarged in 1860s by William Baker.
Deep-chamfered tie beams with moulded stops on first floor. Small
ante room off music room. C18 style fireplace with festoons. and
urn at centre of frieze. Music room decorated in the style of
Robert Adam; ceiling and walls divided into panels with moulded
margins, central circular ceiling boss, festoon decoration over
oval mirrors within panels on walls. Adam style fireplace, round-
headed mirror over with triangular pediment. Fine stained glass in
windows with musical instrument at centre of each. Conservatory;
fine stained glass around window margins depicting apple and rose
trees. The naturalistic theme is continued in similar stained
glass windows in 1885 extension. Deep chamfered beams with
moulded stops visible on first floor.
History: house owned by the Pauncefoote family. c1200-1598. The
medieval-early Tudor house was probably moated. 1847-63 the house
was owned by the architect Thomas Fulljames (q-.v. monument in
churchyard and church). The house was then sold to and remains in
the ownership of the Baker family. Edward Elgar was a friend of
William Baker and was a frequent visitor to the house. Three of
the Enigma Variations were based on the characters of members of
the Baker family.

Listing NGR: SO8251027470

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Hasfield Court at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17538488

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

• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy