Description

WEST ACRE TF 71 NE 5/52 High House. 19.10.51. I

Country house. Mid-C18, visited by Mrs Lybbe Powys in 1756. Refaced at south with internal alterations by W.J. Donthorn, architect, c.1829 for Anthony Hamond, the outcome of ambitious Greek Revival schemes to re-face the whole house from 1823. High quality Holkham estate gault brick, stucco dressings, pantiled roofs. Greek Revival centre, Palladian north ranges. 2 storey south front arranged as basement with piano nobile, 3 storey lateral north wings. U plan centre has 5 central bays, single bay returned wings, possibly on site of C17 manor house on the Spelman family. Centre has 2 ground floor windows central piano nobile tripartite windows, flanking single windows, all sashes with glazing bars. Abstract brick pilaster articulation between piano nobile openings have Greek Doric capitals and entablature in stucco. Central porch with angle pilasters, flat parapet roof, 6 panel raised and fielded door with pilastered architrave surround. Returned wings have single ground floor windows, tripartite piano nobile windows with pilaster divisions and margin lights, all sashes with glazing bars under flat rubbed brick arches. All these details by Donthorn replaced mid-C18 Venetian windows and external staircase with piano nobile Gibbs surround door recorded on print of 1820. First floor plat-band and mid C18 castelled parapet carried round entire house. East and west returns of centre have one large c.1829 sash window lighting internal piano nobile gallery, 2 plate glass sashes and one blocked painted sash. U plan hipped roof. On line of rear pile to north 2 mid C18 lateral 3 storey 3 bay wings, all sashes with glazing bars, central Gibbs surround window. Battlemented parapets and double pile hipped roofs. 13 bay north range. 3 bay basement and piano nobile centre with 3 large sashes with glazing bars, hipped roof. 2 2-storey link wings, hipped roof. 3-storey end wings, all with sashes with glazing bars. Interior: mid C18 piano nobile villa-like arrangement of south front re-worked by Donthorn with internal staircase from ground floor entrance to first floor gallery. 4 bay pilastered staircase with segmental coffered ceiling, with landing screen of 3 Delos Ionic columns in antis with 2 antae, coat of arms with scroll work above. Piano nobile gallery of 5 cubes of 18 feet cubed, described in 1756, re-cast as extremely abstract Greek Revival trabiated interior. Internal north wall elevation has 2 Delos Ionic half columns with flanking piers on axis with staircase screen, 2 fireplace bays framed with abstract pilaster strips, fireplaces replaced C20. East and west windows framed by Delos Ionic antae. Compartment ceiling, fine mahogony doors. Wings to south have mid C18 rooms at north, c.1829 pilastered compart- ment ceiling rooms to south. Entire piano nobile floored with hexagonal Ketton stone flags, supported on ground floor vaults. On axis with staircase central 3 bay Dining Room, fine mid C18 interior described in 1756. Pulvinated and coved Rococo frieze and central rose with head of Medusa in wreath and Greek lettering "Solonos". Mid C18 marble fireplace with lugged angles. East and west wings have mid C18 staircases. See Catalogue of the Drawings Collection, Royal Institute of British Architects C-F (1972), pp.83-89; R.0'Donnell "W.J. Donthorn (1799-1859) : architecture with great hardness and decision in the edges" : Architectural History'(JSAH 9B) xxi (1978) pp. 83-94.

Listing NGR: TF7928418126

External Links

• Wikidata Q17536566

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