Description

ELTON ELTON HALL
TL 09 SE
3/39 Elton Hall
25.9.51
GV II
Country house. Late C15 remains of chapel and gatehouse by Sir Richard or Sir
John Sapcote formerly part of the original courtyard house. Rebuilding in
1662-1689 by Sir Thomas Proby included -the chapel in north-east wing with wing
at right angles to north-west, Thomas Cook and Christopher Chapman carpenter
and mason. Extension to south-west by John Proby (d.1710) much altered by
extensive alterations and rebuilding in 1780-1815 by the first Earl of
Carysfort in a romantic Gothic style part surviving in south-east elevation.
John Canon, mason 'built two round towers'. Circa 1855 the third Earl of
Carysfort with Henry Ashton, architect, removed the Gothic details and
demolished some former additions, rebuilt the north-west cross wing and
refaced the north-west wing in stone restoring the main entrance to north-east
facade with open portico; circa 1860 chapel range extended to north-west and
bay between chapel and gatehouse rebuilt. The fourth Earl of Carysfort
(1868-1872) added a tower to the chapel block, and billiard room and kitchens
to north-east. The fifth Earl of Carysfort demolished the C18 tower and built
two octagonal turrets to flank the rebuilt gable of the C17 range in 1882.
Restored upper storey of Sapcote's tower after fire 1894, architect Birch.
Coursed limestone rubble, freestone and ashlar. Collyweston stone slated
roofs. Two and three storeys with attics and cellars. Former irregular
T-plan compounded by additions to main north-east and south-west ranges with
former chapel and gatehouse included in north-east range. Main entrance
facade by Henry Ashton to former C17 wing. Portico with paired stone columns,
entablature and balustraded parapet, double-leafed glazed doors and
rectangular fanlight. Six-panelled door to right hand with cornice hood
supported on console brackets. Six bays and three bays to right hand with
nine first floor and eight ground floor hung sash windows with moulded stone
architraves. Alternate triangular and segmental pediments to wooden and stone
dormer windows with large central facade dormer to cross wing. Moulded stone
cornice with dentil enrichment and plain band between floors. Narrow
rectangular planned chimney stacks of rusticated ashlar recessed with plain
panels and with moulded cornices. South-east garden facade; four elements
unified in part by Gothic features and late C19 alterations, from left to
right hand; pair of round embattled towers to south-west gable; three bays
with central bay pedimented between pairs of slender pinnacled buttresses,
with central embattled first floor oriel window; chapel range of three bays
with two storey bay at first floor approached by semi-circular stone steps,
Gothic two-centred arch headed windows with hung sashes shaped to arches and
with slender glazing bars and moulded stone reveals, diagonal buttresses
terminating in panelled and crocketed pinnacles; library building of one bay
with two storey bay and resited C17 stone mullioned and transomed casement
window at first floor said to have come from Drydens' House, Chesterton Cambs;
gatehouse of three storeys with projecting bay, ashlar faced clasping
buttresses, heavy machiolation with embattled parapet rising to turret-like
projections, outer archway with four-centred head and grooves for a
portcullis, first floor window of two four-centred lights in square head with
moulded label, panel above with arms of Sapcotes, two blocked flanking window
loops, one second floor window similar to first floor. Interior: Entrance
hall with C17 Dutch oak panelling installed from Ireland in 1924 said to have
originated from the Old Town Hall, Antwerp; inner hall and staircase hall mid
C19 by Ashton in C18 revival style with scagliola columns and very fine
wrought iron balustraded staircase; octagonal rooms C18; chapel,formerly the
medieval undercroft, with quadripartite ribbed vaulting of four bays; former
chapel was altered in c.1760 to the drawing room, redecorated c.1860 in French
mid C18 style retaining original C18 plastered ceiling; dining room with C18
chimney piece removed from drawing room; late C18 main library with fittings
and C19 stencil decoration; C19 inner library. 'The chimney pieces c.1815,
were made of stone from the first Earl's quarries, Eligah Marlow, mason' (Inskip
Ladds).
Elton Hall Historical Guide.
Sir Thomas Proby Accounts (Inskip Ladds).
V.C.H. Huntingdonshire, p155
R.C.H.M. Huntingdonshire, p80
Pevsner: Buildings of England, p238
North View Drawing by S & N Buck, c.1730 Bodleian Library
Gatehouse View, Drawing by J Carter 1791 B.M.
South-west View, Drawing c.1800
North, south-west, south-east views by G Clarke, 1850
Ashton's drawings dated 1856
Photographs c.1855, c.1875
Inskip Ladds Collection, Norris Museum, St Ives

Listing NGR: TL0882892960

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Elton Hall at Wikipedia
• Elton Hall official website
• Wikidata Q5367845

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.

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