Listed Building: The Grange (13/98)

House, former rectory and preparatory school. 1850 and 1861 with earlier origins; some C20 alterations. By William Butterfield for Reverend C.S. Holthouse. Ironstone ashlar with some sandstone dressings, tile roof, various stone stacks. Complex plan, basically L-shape. Main range of 2 storeys and attic and 3 windows, 2-storey wings. Principal range facing garden has 3-light wood mullion and transom windows to ground floor, three-light casement windows either side of a 2-light casement window to first floor. These windows have pointed relieving arches. Gabled half-dormers to attic storey. School-room wing projecting at right end has 2-storey gabled porch right of centre with Caernarvon doorway to ground floor, a stone outer staircase to left and 2-light arched casement window to first floor. To right of porch two 4-light chamfered mullion windows to ground floor and gabled dormers to first floor either side of porch. Left of porch 1 and 2-light casement windows to ground floor; a lean-to with catslide roof in angle between the ranges containing corridor links. At left side of first floor large half-hipped dormer with 5-light Gothic timber tracery window. Gable end of principal range faces road and has semi-canted bay window with steep stone roof to right of large stone stack. To left of gable end and facing road 2-storey, 1-window entrance wing with gabled timber porch which has inner and outer plank doors with ornamental hinges, 1-light windows to either side and 3-light leaded casement window to first floor. Left end elevation has two-storey canted bay window. Interior: C19 broach-stop chamfered spine beams. Former school dining hall in ground floor of schoolroom wing remodelled early C20. School room on first floor above has arch-brace collar truss roof and fine encaustic tile fireplace with monogram of Reverend C.S. Holthouse, designed and presented by Minton. The house was described in obituary of Reverend C. S. Holthouse (A Pilgramage to Hellidon, Northamptonshire Herald, 5 February 1881) as 'one of the happiest specimens of Butterfield's domestic architecture, shewing in gable and dormer and outside staircase its natural growth from a small beginning'. The nucleus of the rectory was a small baker's house purchased by the Reverend C.S. Holthouse, remodelled and extended at a cost of £1143,15.04. (Holthouse papers: Northants Record Office).

Record last edited

Jul 5 2021 11:39AM