Description

NUNEATON AND BEDWORTH ARBURY PARK
SP38NW
4/7 Arbury Hall
06/12/47
GV I

Country house. Late C16 for Sir Edmund Anderson. Chapel remodelled 1678.
Completely remodelled and Gothicised 1749-1803 for Sir Roger Newdigate. Designs
by William Hiorn, mason-architect 1748-1755, Henry Keene 1761-1776 and Henry
Couchman, clerk of works 1776-1789, and probably also by Sir Roger himself;
Sanderson Miller may also have been involved. Grey Attleborough and Wilnecote
sandstone ashlar. Roofs hidden by parapets. Ashlar external and other stacks.
Courtyard plan. Gothic Revival style, with late Perpendicular details. 3
storeys. Moulded plinth and string courses, and moulded and embattled parapets
with crocketed pinnacles throughout. Moulded and chamfered 4-centred openings
throughout. Sashes and casements have Gothick glazing bars. South garden front:
western bay window 1752, eastern bay 1761, central Dining Room range 1769-1779.
Symmetrical. 1-1-3-1-1 bays. Projecting wings have polygonal clasping buttresses
to outer corners, with blind quatrefoil and lancet panelling, rising into
panelled and crocketed pinnacles. 2-storey polygonal bays have windows to 3
sides, leaf carving and blind arches. Elaborately moulded quatrefoil panel with
coat of arms below first floor windows. Second floor has straight-headed windows
of 2 arched lights with hood moulds throughout. Large one-storey 3-bay central
projection has polygonal clasping buttresses rising into panelled and crocketed
turrets with niches. Elaborate decoration throughout, with blind arcading and
quatrefoil frieze, and arcaded parapet with panelled and crocketed pinnacles
between bays. Large 4-light windows have panel tracery and ogee outer arches
with finials. Lower single-storey bays to left and right have moulded doorways
with hood moulds, and double-leaf sash doors with painted wood tracery and blind
tracery panels. Openwork embattled parapets. First floor has sashes. North
entrance front, probably designed 1783 but built 1792-1796, of 1-3-1 bays. Large
external stacks between centre and blank outer bays. Angles have buttresses with
turrets similar to garden front. Central 3-bay porte-cochere has angle and other
buttresses rising into panelled crocketed pinnacles. Moulded cornice and parapet
with finials. Interior is vaulted, with moulded piers. Central double-leaf sash
door has fanlight with painted wood tracery. Flanking bays have small quatrefoil
window in square panel. Windows to left and right of porte-cochere on each floor
are mostly blind. First floor has more elaborately treated windows; central
tripartite window has simple intersecting tracery. Second floor has central
2-light window, similar to garden front. East front of c.1786. Two storeys;
1-3-2-1 bays. 3 large external stacks. Detailing largely similar to entrance
front. 3-bay section has large polygonal one-storey bay window, of 7 mullioned
and transomed lights with elaborate Gothick glazing. Central sash door. Blind
fret frieze, moulded cornice and vine leaf frieze. Crocketed pinnacles and
fleur-de-lys cresting. West front of 1789-1803 is irregular. Some rubble walling
and remains of blocked mullioned and transomed windows may be a survival from
the earlier house. 3 large external stacks. Interior: Entrance Hall and the
Cloisters of 1783-1785 have plaster quadripartite vaulting with moulded ribs and
shafts. Semi-circular apse has stone geometrical staircase with re-used openwork
balusters, scrollwork, newel posts and finials of c.1580. Old armorial glass in
some windows. Chapel has plaster ceiling of 1678 by Edward Martin. Central
shaped panel has inner wreath and deep coving with festoons, and richly
decorated outer border of flowers, fruit and foliage. Small similarly decorated
shaped panels. Acanthus cornice. Contemporary panelling of bolection-moulded
lower panels; upper moulded panels have shouldered and indented architraves, and
are separated by carved drops suspended from winged cherubs' heads. Arched organ
recess at west end has fluted Tuscan pilasters, more elaborate drops between the
panels, and a late C18 ceiling. Panelled pulpit. Library of 1754-1761 by Hiorn
has Gothick panelling with shafts, cornice and ogee-gabled bookcases, and open
fretwork arches to bay window and recess. Chimney-piece has panelling and canopy
of 3 ornamented ogee arches. Segmental plaster ceiling with 'Etruscan' motifs
and medallions from a design of 1791 by Sir Roger. Dining Room by Keene
1769-1773 on the site of the hall. Plaster fan vaulting with wall shafts.
Windows are treated as an aisle with Gothick-panelled arches. Very large
fireplace has polygonal turrets with crocketed buttresses, moulded arch and a
row of triangular canopied niches with cresting. Tall elaborate canopied niches
above fireplace and in walls have casts of Roman statues. East wall has
Gothic-panelled recess with Classical relief. Gothic-panelled doors and
doorcases with triple canopies and pinnacles. Drawing Room by Keene 1762-1763
has Gothick plaster panelling with inset portraits. Segmental Gothic plasterwork
vault, and fan vault in bay window. Chimneypiece, inspired by the monument of
Aymer de Vallance in Westminster Abbey, carved 1764 by Richard Hayward of Weston
Hall (q.v.). Saloon, Little Sitting Room and School Room (Chaplain's Room), all
decorated under direction of Couchman. Saloon of 1786-1794, probably from
designs by Keene, has vaulting and pendants inspired by Henry VII's chapel;
scagliola columns and Gothic capitals were supplied by Joseph Alcott 1797.
Little Sitting Room has marble fireplace of c.1740 with eared architrave. School
Room has Gothick fireplace with ogee arch, inset with Classical medallions
probably carved by Hayward. Long Gallery on first floor has stone fireplace of
c.1580. Panelling, and possibly the painted wooden overmantel with columns and
obelisks, of c.1606. Shallow Gothic plaster vault and large moulded arch to
lobby of 1787. 'Arbury Hall is one of the finest examples of the early Gothic
Revival in England' (Buildings of England, p67). The house was built on the site
of a monestery.
(VCH: Warwickshire: Vol IV, p173-174; Buildings of England: Warwickshire:
p67-71; Gordon Nares: Arbury Hall, Country Life 8 October 1953, pp1126-1129; 15
October 1953, p1210-1213; 29 October 1953, pp1414-1417; G.C. Tyack: Country
House Building in Warwickshire 1500-1914, ppl98-206; Arbury Hall guidebook)

Listing NGR: SP3351989255

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Arbury Hall at Wikipedia
• Arbury Hall official website
• Wikidata Q4784952

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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