Description

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 3 July 2023 to amend the name and address, and to reformat the text to current standards

SJ 85 NW
7/25

CHURCH LAWTON C.P.
LAWTON HALL DRIVE
Lawton Hall

(Formerly listed as LIVERPOOL ROAD EAST No. 8 (Lawton Hall School))

6.6.52

GV
II

Country house, now school. Mid C18. Red Flemish bond brick with ashlar dressings and a slate roof with lead flashings. Two and three storeys.

Entrance front: of nine bays symmetrically disposed with asymmetrical wings at either side. Projecting centrepiece of three bays and two storeys with, at centre, a central ashlar door surround with a round-arched doorway which is now blocked and contains a sash window. Moulded band at the level of the springing of the arch and triple keystone to the apex. Demi-columns of Roman Doric form to either side with Doric entablature above and segmental pediment. This stone frontispiece continues at first floor level as an ashlar window surround with sloping shoulders containing a sash window of 3 x 5 sash panes and round-arched head which projects up into the pediment with a band at the level of the springing of the arch and a triple keystone above. To either side at ground floor level the lateral windows have panelled stone surrounds and a round-arched top with projecting keystones.

The first floor window surrounds above this are lugged and shouldered. The open pediment has moulded brackets to either side supporting doserettes. To either side of this projecting central portion are three bays of three storeys which rise to the same height as the central three bays and continue the entablature, projecting portions of which are supported by brackets to the far right and left. To the ground and first floors are windows of 3 x 4 sash panes with wedge lintels carved in simulation of chamfered rustication and having projecting keystones. The second floor has similar windows of 3 x 2 panes. The exception to this arrangement is the stone porchway to the resited hallway of c.1860 which is to the central ground floor bay of the right hand side. This has Roman Doric columns at either side and a flat roof.

To either side of these central nine bays there were originally recessed single bay wings of two storeys with doorways at ground floor level. These have both been extended to form larger wings, that at right being a service wing of four bays with a projecting end-pavilion of two storeys, the floors divided by an ashlar string course with ashlar cornice and parapet to the top of the wall, and with windows of 3 x 4 panes and the first floor windows of 3 x 3 panes, the pavilion having a Venetian window with a doorway to its centre and a Diocletian window to the first floor.

The left hand wing has been extended by one further bay at left and is terminated by a pilaster buttress. To left again and recessed is a late C19 billiard room of three bays. To left and right of the central block are chimney stacks of four bays with a central stack of five flues.

Rear: at centre of the central nine symmetrical bays is a semi-octagonal bay window of two storeys height. At the centre is a Venetian window the central light of which has been extended downwards in the early C19 to form a French window. This has Ionic pilasters to either side with a simplified entablature above. To the angles are sash windows of 3 x 5 panes with wedge lintels carved in imitation of chamfered rustication with projecting keystones. To the mezzanine level are three roundels, that at centre having stone blocks to either side which remain uncarved. To the first floor at centre is an arched window and to either side windows of 3 x 2 panes. The three-bay, three-storey portions at either side have ground and first floor windows of 3 x 4 sash panes and windows of 3 x 2 panes to the attics, all with wedge-shaped lintels, carved in imitation of chamfered rustication, and projecting keystones. The exceptions to this arrangement are the bays at left of the right hand wing and at right of the right hand wing which both have semi-glazed doors inserted. The service wing at left has four similar bays with 4 x 3 sash panes at ground floor level and 3 x 3 sash panes to the first floor.

Interior: Original entrance hall has lugged and shouldered picture surrounds of moulded plaster to the walls with Rococo cartouches. Similar cartouches around the arched windows and former doorway. Two lateral doors to each side with richly moulded surrounds and opposite the original entrance a fire surround of wood with demi-columns to the sides with egg and dart capitals and a frieze of modillions with dentils below and square flowers to the metopes. Heavy cornice below ceiling which has richly moulded panels of Rococo plasterwork.

The saloon has a fire surround with volutes to either side with female heads. Shouldered surround with egg-and-dart moulding and a grotesque mask to the central projecting keystone. The overmantel has pilasters to the sides with trails of foliage falling from lion masks and lower consoles which are heavily moulded with acanthus leaves. Swan-necked pediment over. Lugged and shouldered door surrounds with ears of corn and swags of foliage with female masks at centre of the overdoors. The cornice has shell motifs. One side of the room has a semi-octagonal bay window with a central Venetian window which has a full entablature. The windows at either side have lugged surrounds. The ceiling has a full cornice and Rococo plasterwork in the manner of Bagucci with heads and cartouches and at the centre an oval frame with an eagle in relief with extending claws.

One first floor room has raised and fielded panelling divided by a chair rail and Doric pilasters with cabling to their lower bodies and egg-and-dart moulding to their capitals. Several of the first floor rooms have lugged and shouldered door and fire surrounds with egg and dart moulding.

The staircase hall has been altered at ground floor level and the lowest flight turned at right angles and one ground floor room knocked through to make a larger hallway which is lined with pseudo-Jacobean panelling. The staircase is of four flights with double vase, balusters, square newels and a heavy moulded and ramped handrail. The ceiling above the stairwell is of Rococo plasterwork with a heavy central boss. Three attic rooms have C17 wooden panelling brought from elsewhere.

Listing NGR: SJ8231255619

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Lawton Hall at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q15242008

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
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)