Description

TL6463 NEWMARKET OLD STATION ROAD
(including EXNING)

7/140 Cleveland House
10/03/70

GV II*

Offices. Formerly a house of circa 1730 substantially remodelled and extended circa 1820. For
Lord Darlington, later Duke of Cleveland, and other racehorse owners, who jointly presented
the house to the racehorse jockey, Samuel [Sam] Chiflhey, junior, as a mark of their
appreciation of his success on their racehorses. Again enlarged in C20 for the sixth Earl of
Rosebery; other minor C20 alterations. Brick stuccoed with scribed masonry joints, stone
details; hipped felted roofs; stacks removed. PLAN: a wide, double-depth block, the service
wing recessed to right, C20 wing added to rear left. EXTERIOR: two and three storeys and
deep cellar, single storey rear wing. The front facade of c1820 is an imposing, symmetrical
composition in three wide bays with three 6/6 sashes to each bay in moulded architraves; the
level of the windows in the central bay on the first floor lower than the windows in the bays
to each side; the bays flamed by a giant order of four strip pilasters above an offset plinth and
supporting a moulded crowning cornice and coped parapet. Across the central bay a single
storey entrance portico with Roman Ionic columns and entablature with above a balcony with
decorative wrought iron railing of c.1820. Applied to each facade pilaster a moulded wreath and
across the central bay a deep anthemion frieze. Within the portico the large central entrance
doorway with 8-panel door, and to either side a 6/6 sash. In the centre of the main parapet a
higher rectangular panel crowned by a pediment with a central wreath in relief and acroteria;
on each side the parapet is pierced by plain arcading and has scrolls in relief above. Rising above
the parapet a crowning feature over each of the giant pilasters and between these in each of the outer bays a rectangular panel with moulded wreath in relief flanked by lower side panels. The
north east end wall of the main block is a 2 blind-window range framed by pilasters and
crowning cornice; moulded stone architraves similar to those of the front facade. Rear elevation
has irregular fenestration including three C20 French doors, otherwise various sashes.

INTERIOR: on the ground floor the central entrance hall is part of the house of c1730. It
contains an open well staircase of stripped pine with hardwood handrail rising to a gallery
landing lower than the general first floor level; details include a curtail step, open string with
richly carved foliate tread-end brackets, fluted Ionic column newels, two column-on-vase
balusters to each tread, and ramped handrail wreathed over the curtail step, with a narrow mahogany strip laid into the top of the handrail; the plain dado panels to stairs and to the
landing gallery are framed by Ionic pilasters and a moulded rail. The hall floor has stone slabs
and the ceilings to the gallery and stair well have modillion cornices. Doorway to left leads to
a large board (former drawing) room fully panelled in pine with very richly moulded and carved
features, in the style of William Kent. Details include moulded skirting, plain dado capped by
chair rail with Greek key moulding, full-height fielded panels with carved moulding, and
modillion cornice. The chimney-piece has white marble surround framed by eared architraves and entablature, and overmantel with ancanthus frieze below a blank panel framed by eared architraves and flanking scrolls, and the entablature crowned by broken pediment enclosing a scallop shell supported by acanthus scrolls. Each doorcase has richly moulded architraves,entablature with foliated frieze, and pediment. The Pompeian style ceiling is painted on paper
and is said to be later C19. The other principal rooms on ground floor have moulded joinery,and moulded plaster cornices, and, in the larger rooms, central foliated ceiling roses and Italian marble chimney pieces, all of c1820. In the C20 single storey wing to rear a large room with chimney-piece in Adam style, probably late C18 and re-used. On the first floor the room above the board room has moulded skirting, chair rail and cornice of c1730; other rooms on the first
floor have details of cl820. In the cellar below the hall a room of c1730, later sub-divided, has a quadripartite groined vault supported on wall piers. Below the board room a room with two chamfered timber ceiling beams, each supported at either end by inserted brick piers; a large fireplace contains a mid C19 cast iron kitchen range; to left a sash, and in the end wall two sashes, all behind closed shutters; the sash inspected has some original bottle glass panes. The
doorway to this room and to another to room at rear have C18 doors with vent slots in the top half and wrought iron strap hinges. HISTORY: the house indicated on the site in John Chapman's map of Newmarket, dated 1787, partly survives in the rooms and staircase of c1730 which were retained when the house was remodelled c1820. Samuel Chiffney, junior, occupied the house until 1851. He was the son of Samuel Chiffney, senior, and brother of William Chiffney, both of whom were also very successful racehorse jockeys.

------------------------------------

TL 6463 NEWMARKET OLD STATION
(including EXNING) ROAD

7/140 Cleveland House
10.3.70

GV II

House. c.1820; for Lord Darlington (later 1st Duke of
Cleveland), for his jockey Sam Chifney junior. 3 storeys, 9
windows. Stuccoed walls, the front elevation divided by giant
pilasters into 3 parts, each pilaster having a wreath at the
head. Above the entrance an anthemion frieze. Moulded cornice
and parapet with pierced centre section, panelled solid flanking
sections; surmounting acroteria; the large central panel has a
pediment and supporting scrolls. Hipped slated roofs. Sash
windows with small panes, and in the flanking bays, architraves;
2 windows have a cornice on console brackets. Open 1-storey
Doric entrance portico on 4 columns, with decorative wrought iron
railings to flat roof; entrance door with 6 fielded panels.

Listing NGR: TL6468063520

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17534946

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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