Description

SK 21 NW PARISH OF CATTON CATTON ROAD 2/1 (West Side) 2.9.52 Catton Hall GV II*

Country house. 1741, designed by William Smith for Christopher Horton, with minor C19 and C20 alterations, plus new wing of 1907 by Sir T G Jackson. Red brick on ashlar basement with gauged brick and stone dressings, plus first floor stone band. Hipped graduated slate roof with brick ridge stacks and moulded stone cornice with blocking course over. Nine bays by seven bays with double pile plan and three storeys plus basement. Main front facing the garden has three centre bays slightly advanced with flight of stone steps across the full width. To east side the basement has three original C18 glazing bar sashes and to west there are two similar sashes, those to west are almost encased by a pathway which has been added to the front and those to east have an early C19 bracketed stone balcony over with simple ironwork balustrade. Ground floor has a central Tuscan columned doorcase with triglyphed frieze, dentilled pediment and C19 double glazed doors. To either side there are four full height plain sashes, all with C19 pelmets. Above there are nine plain sashes and above again there are nine 2-light casement windows. All windows have flat gauged brick arches with stone keyblocks. North front has central five bays recessed with flight of stone steps up to central doorcase, flanked by three C18 glazing bar sashes to east and two similar to west, at basement level. Above, the central door has double glazed doors below a divided overlight, and to east there is one small pane cross window and three glazing bar sashes. To west there are two similar sashes and a wide central window to the advanced western bays. Above there are nine glazing bar sashes and above again there are seven similar sashes and two 2-light casement windows. As on main front all openings have flat gauged brick arches with stone keyblocks. West and east fronts have similar windows. East front has early C20 brick and stone porch to centre and west front has three centre bays advanced. Attached to north-east corner is the 1907 addition which is also of red brick with gauged brick dressings, and has a steeply pitched hipped slate roof with belled eaves, dentilled cornice and panelled brick ridge stacks. South elevation has first floor brick band with rusticated pilaster strips, between the bays, below and flat pilasters above. Ground floor has four glazing bar sashes and above there are four similar windows with gauged brick aprons, all openings have flat brick arches. Above again there are four large roof dormers with glazing bar sashes, those to either end with segmental pediments and those to centre with triangular pediments. Good quality contemporary interior has wide open well staircase with turned balusters on closed strings, solid newels, wreathed and ramped handrail and dado panelling to opposite wall. Above, the landing has a plasterwork ceiling with central eagle rose and to the top of the stairs there are moulded semi-circular headed arches with large keystones. Central entrance hall has original fireplace with pedimented overmantle and matching panel on opposite wall, both flanked by plasterwork sconces, also moulded shouldered doorcases with cornices to side walls and similar pedimented doorcase to back wall, those to side walls with overdoors decorated with plaster musical instruments; ceiling has grid of beams with moulded plasterwork. Drawing room to west side has original panelling, shouldered doorcases with moulded cornices and an early C19 marble fireplace with inlaid jasper to the jambs. Morning room to east side of hall has original panelling, fireplace with pedimented overmantle, cornicing and doorcase. Present columned entrance hall is an early C19 arrangement. Main first floor bedrooms have C18 cornicing, dado rails and. fireplaces. There is a knopped baluster back staircase up to the second floor, which originally continued down to the basement. Two second floor rooms have C17 panelling, probably re-used from an earlier house, and C18 fireplaces. There is also C17 panelling in basement rooms. Sources: Country Life, March 17, 1960, p566, and 'The Country Seat', edited by Howard Colvin and John Harris with essay on Catton Hall by Andor Gomme, p157, 1970.

Listing NGR: SK2061315359

External Links

• Catton Hall at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5054167

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

• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990