Listed Building: Wicken Country Hotel (17/137)

Hotel, formerly rectory. Built 1703 with late C19 and C20 alterations and additions. Coursed square limestone, ironstone dressings, plain-tile roofs, brick ridge stacks. 2 storeys and attic; 7-window range. Originally probably U plan. Central panelled, part-glazed door with moulded eared stone surround blank-panelled keyblock and broken segmental pediments ending in small volutes. 18-pane sash windows to ground floor, 24-pane sashes to 1st floor, those to ground floor with moulded stone surrounds and keyblocks, those to 1st floor with similar surrounds and broken segmental pediments with volutes, except for central 1st floor window which has scrolled double curves. The two bays either end break forward slightly and have stone-coped gables with kneelers and 2-light casement windows to attics with moulded stone surrounds and keyblocks. Chamfered plinth, flat-faced stone mullion cellar windows to right of centre, ironstone quoins, storey band at 1st floor level, storey bands to bases of gables and hollow-chamfered stone eaves to centre; central gabled dormer. Late C19 or early C20 2-storey bay window to left side. Right side elevation, partly hidden by single-storey lean-to extension has 5 bays, and sash windows to ground and 1st floors with flat-arched heads and 2 hipped dormers flanking central gabled dormer. C18 and C19 full-height extensions to rear. Interior: fine open-well staircase from ground to 1st floors with turned balusters. Open-well back stair with simpler turned balusters. C17 panelling to study. Stone cellar. The Rectory was built by Dr. William Trimnal soon after his induction in 1702 from materials of the demolished Spencer mansion. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire: 1973, p462; C.S. Dickin Moore, Wicken Church, 1967, p4)

Record last edited

Sep 25 2013 9:08AM