Description

SJ 63 NE; 6/130

NORTON IN HALES C.P.,
BETTON,
Betton House

10.02.59

GV

II

House. Mid-to late C18. Red brick with some grey sandstone ashlar
dressings. Hipped slate roof, half-conical over bows. Three storeys.
Stone plinth and moulded stone cornice (returned to sides) with blocking
course. Pair of brick ridge stacks off-centre to left and right, with
projecting stone bands and toothed-brick cornices. 3:1:3 bays with
full-height bows; glazing bar sashes with stone cills and lintels; central
windows with moulded stone architraves, that on first floor also with
balustrading beneath, frieze with paterae and moulded cornice. Central
door with six raised and fielded panels, wreathed radial fanlight
incorporating husks as spokes and wooden Ionic doorcase consisting of three-
quarter columns supporting dosserets with fluted frieze and open triangular
pediment. Left-hand return (garden front): pilaster strip to right
(end of front wall). Plinth to right, plat band between ground and
first floors and dentil brick eaves cornice (bricks on side). 3:1 bays;
segmental-headed boxed glazing bar sashes to right with stone cills and
full-height bow to left with half-conical roof and curved triple boxed
glazing bar sashes with stone cills and lintels. C18 lead downpipe
to right with straps and fluted semi-circular rainwater head. Right-
hand return front: plat band and dentil brick eaves cornice. Two bays;
segmental-headed trompe-l'oeil glazing bar sashes, 2 to second floor
and one to first floor at left. Segmental-headed ground-floor windows
obscured by later lean-to. C18 lead downpipe to left with straps and
fluted semi-circular rainwater head. Two-storey brick service wing at
rear with brick ridge stack and external lateral stack. Probably early
C20 projecting apsidal summerhouse with French casements flanked by full-
height horned glazing bar sashes, stone lintels, and half-conical roof.
Interior: C18 dog-leg staircase with landings around rectangular well;
open string with cut brackets, fluted balusters (2 per tread),returning
to landing, and wreathed moulded handrail with fluted foot newel. Round-
arched staircase window at rear. Two C18 oak doors to first-floor landing,
each with 2 raised and fielded panels. Attic staircase with stick balusters.
Left-hand ground-floor room: probably early C20 Ionic screen between
room and entrance hall with 2 fluted columns and lugged architrave.
Early C19 reeded fireplace surround with grate. Right-hand ground-
floor room: moulded-arched recess. Guilloche-ornamented frieze.
C20 fireplace surround with C18 or early C19 cast-iron grate. Rear
room has early C19 fireplace with reeded surround and cast-iron basket
grate. Bedroom fireplaces with C18 basket grates and some plain C18
surrounds. C18 six-panelled doors throughout, some in round-arched
openings. Panelled window shutters. The present occupier of the house
(July 1986) reports that Sir Oswald Mosely lived here at some time.
The darker brickwork of the second floor (see side walls) might indicate
that this is an early C19 (see dentil brick eaves cornice) addition.
However since the window details above and below the change are identical
it is more likely that the top floor has been either rebuilt or simply
that a different batch of bricks was used.

Listing NGR: SJ6910836872

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26472226

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

• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6