British Listed Buildings

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Listing Text

TF 8342 BURNHAM MARKET BURNHAM WESTGATE

12/11 Westgate Hall,
5.6.53. Burnham.

- II*

Country house, now old people's home. 1783-5. Supposedly alterations
and additions to an existing house inherited from his wife by Thomas Pitt,
1st Baron Camelford (1737-1793) himself an architectural amateur, but
no earlier work surviving. Either by Sir John Soane (Colvin) or to Soane's
designs by the Norwich builder and sculptor John de Carle (1750-1828)
(Gunnis), the conservative nature of the design and especially of the
interiors suggesting de Carle and Lord Camelford rather than the already
high idiosyncratic style of Soane's contemporary Norfolk work Letton Hall
(1783-9) and Saxlingham Rectory (1784-7). Gault brick stone dressings,
slate roofs, 2) storey 5 bay centre with 3 bay pediment, 2 storey single
bay wings. 3 central bays have 2 ground floor, 3 first and 3 second floor
windows, sashes with glazing bars under flat rubbed brick arches. First
floor centre window with a stucco architrave with console brackets supporting
a segmental pediment, outer windows have simple stucco string course
above, all have stone balustrade recessed between 2 stone platbands running
across the facade; second floor central window has stucco rectangular
architrave surround, fixed sash in pediment. Outer bays slightly recessed,
have one ground - one first - and one second floor sash with glazing bars
under flat rubbed brick arches. At second floor above the outer wings
the corners are further recessed. The 5 bays are united by a ground floor
stone plinth, 2 first floor platbands, moulded brick modillion eaves cornice,
with 2 massive long, 'low brick stacks. Central ground floor porch is
c.1949 neo-Georgian replacement. Single bay outer bays brought forward
on line with pedimented centre have single ground and single first floor
sash, both with glazing bars and flat rubbed brick arch heads, the first
floor with recessed balustrade base : ground floor plinth, 2 First floor
platbands, modillion eaves cornice and hipped roofs. 3 bay returns with
platbands and eaves cornice. Interior: Ground floor at north has 2 bay
dining room with somewhat retardataire plaster mouldings and bolection
moulded fireplace; room at south has reused bolection fireplace with
rococo wooden carving. Impressive Imperial staircase cantilivered from
wall, stone treads, simple cast iron baluster with curved bulbous base,
central arched window and arched niches in angles. First floor is piano
nobile. Central room above entrance has moulded wooden dado and carved
door architraves of mid-C18 pattern, 2 rooms to south with wooden dados
and egg and dart moulded plaster cornices. No. 30 at south formerly with
c.1800 perhaps Italian wall paper. C.1830 doorcase at head of landing,
and to north 3 bay one and half storey room with tripartite ceiling with
central rose and north and south doors c.1830, but fireplace in c.1790
style with early C19 grate. Room with deep coved cornice to north, another
retardataire mid-C18 feature. See Colvin, Biographical Dictionary of
British Architects, (1978), pp.639-640 (Lord Camelford), pp. 788 (Soane);
R. Gunnis, Dictionary of British Sculptors (1954), pp. 125 (de Carle).


Listing NGR: TF8300442161

Source: English Heritage

Listed building text is © Crown Copyright. Reproduced under licence: PSI Click-use licence number C2008002006.