Building record 4771/2/1 - Easton Neston House & Attached Wing

Country house. Built c.1685-95 for Sir William Fermor created Baron Lempster 1692, probably to a design made by office of Sir Christopher Wren and executed under direction of Nicolas Hawksmoor who modified the exterior c.1700-02. Interior still unfinished at death of Lord Lempster in 1711. Limestone ashlar (Helmdon stone), lead roofs, stone internal stacks. Double-pile plan with central cross passage. English Baroque style. One of the red brick wings of the former house still stands.

{1} Country house. Built c.1685-95 for Sir William Fermor created Baron Lempster 1692, probably to a design made by office of Sir Christopher Wren and executed under direction of Nicolas Hawksmoor who modified the exterior c.1700-02. Interior still unfinished at death of Lord Lempster in 1711. Limestone ashlar (Helmdon stone), lead roofs, stone internal stacks. Double-pile plan with central cross passage. English Baroque style. 2 storeys and basement; 9-window range. Entrance front to west has central 8-panel double-leaf doors with fanlight, stone surround with round-arched head, keyblock and imposts. Window to first floor above with similar head and surround. Otherwise 40-pane sash windows to ground and first floors with moulded eared stone surrounds. Giant order of composite pilasters and columns, the latter flanking central bay, pilasters defining the others. Channelled rustication to basement which has segmental-headed, keyblocked windows. Door approached by double-armed outer staircase with intermediate landing either side, wrought-iron balustrade and window below central landing with stone lintel and keyblock. End bays break forward slightly, 5-bay centre breaks forward slightly further with pronounced break-forward to central bay. Full entablature with plain frieze except to central bay which bears Fermor motto HORA E SEMPRE. Segmental-arched pediment above framing family coat of arms. Balustraded parapet, with piers above pilasters bearing urns except for pair of lions facing inwards above inner pilasters either end. Garden front to east has similar composition with pilasters throughout, balustrade continued over central bay, whose frieze is inscribed AO SAL MDCCII. North side elevation of seven bays has central ground floor window similar to ground and first floor windows of main fronts. Very large round-arched window above, lighting staircase. Giant pilasters flank centre with sections of entablature either side of head of staircase window and open pediment. Bays either end have round-arched windows to ground floor with segmental hoods and first floor windows similar to those of main fronts but with pediments. Intervening bays have mezzanine storeys with pairs of 18-pane sashes to ground and first floors, square mezzanine windows above ground floor windows, those above first floor windows with segmental-arched heads and all with moulded stone surrounds. Lead rainwater pipes between these windows with heads dated 1702. Pilasters to either end with section of entablature, continuous cornice and balustraded parapet. Single-storey brick quadrant corridor to ground floor far right joins house to surviving wing and attached buildings. Corridor has round-arched heads to windows with keyblocks. South side elevation has 5 bays and similar articulation, but sash windows to ground floor matching those of main fronts, 18-pane first floor windows, and attic windows with segmental-arched heads; all with moulded eared stone surrounds. Wing, originally one of pair flanking forecourt, of brick with stone dressings and hipped slate roof; 1 storey and attic; 9-window range. Pedimented central bay is ashlar-faced and has large door with moulded stone surround and segmental pediment on brackets; chamfered quoins to angles. Tall leaded wood mullion and transom windows with moulded stone surrounds. Hipped roof dormers. Similar L-plan attached building to rear left, now boiler-house, has large limestone Tudor rose and coat of arms incorporated in brickwork, probably from earlier house. Wing of similar character to rear right. Interior: double-height hall sub-divided horizontally c.1900 retains chimneypiece by William Kent and stone Corinthian columns. Stone cantilever staircase rises in two long flights with intermediate landings and has fine wrought-iron balustrade with inter-linked Ls for Lempster. Stone niches for statues and grisaille wall-paintings by Sir James Thornhill of the Triumph of Diocletian. Several secondary staircases of wood with turned balusters. Drawing Room, formerly Dining Room, has fine plasterwork frames to large hunting paintings by Snyders and Hondius and plaster ceiling depicting Venus and Adonis - c.1730-40 and attributed to Charles Stanley. Black and white marble chimneypiece by William Kent. First floor gallery above cross passage has fielded panelling and large niche flanked by Corinthian pilasters and plain barrel-vaulted ceiling. Fine carved cornices to several of the larger rooms upstairs. One has corner fireplace with veined marble bolection-moulded fireplace surround and stepped chimneybreast for displaying china. Original chimneypieces in mezzanine rooms, mostly bolection-moulded. Stone-vaulted basement with former servants hall and kitchen. The former has painted stone relief of Wheel of Fortune, the latter a groin-vaulted ceiling of 3 bays, supported by elliptical arches which span the room. Hall and staircase were designed as setting for some of the Arundel marbles purchased by Lord Lempster 1691 and presented to University of Oxford by 2nd Countess of Pomfret in 1755. Seat of the Fermor-Heskeths. (Park and gardens included in the H.B.M.C.E. Register of Parks and Gardens at Grade II*; Buildings of England: Northamptonshire: 1973, pp203-204; Connoisseur: October 1964; Country Life 7-14 November 1908, 20-27 August 1927 and October 15th 1970; D.E.L. Haynes, The Arundel Marbles 1975, pp14-16 (pamphlet).)

{3} Built for Sir William Fermor (later Lord Hempster) c.1685-95. Remodelled between 1700-02 by Nicholas Hawksmoor. Wren was consulted on the house in 1682. Hawksmoor also became involved in the 1680's; probably the interior was worked out by both Wren and Hawksmoor.

{4} Wing attached to Easton Neston House. Late C17th. Possibly designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Wing badly damaged by fire. Repair works agreed and underway.

{8} Tree-ring analysis of 11 samples from the roof of the main house of Easton Neston shows that all the timbers used here was felled over a very short period of time between the spring of 1700 and the spring of 1701. As such, this indicates that the roof represents a single programme of work carried out under the direction of Nicholas Hawksmoor, rather than being part of the works carried out here by Sir Christopher Wren in 1683 when the wing ranges were constructed.
From the material analysed a single site chronology was created, ESNDSQ01, comprising all 11 samples obtained, and having an overall length of 197 rings. These rings were dated as spanning the years 1505–1701.

{11} Four undated photos taken from different angles;

{12} The seat of Fermors since Henry VIII, present house built 1702 by William Lord Lempster after design by Indigo Jones, with wings of brick by Sir Christopher Wrenn, and a collection of statues.

{13} Magnificent seat of the Earl of Pomfret or Pontefract. Body was built by Hawkesmore, 1702 was completed, 20 years after the brick wings. "The old seat was a large one, which stood below the church in the park". Now the only house is the Earl of Pomfret's built by Hawkesmore who hath very much departed from the first design.

{14} Mentions Easton Neston house and garden. The conveyance of water to some of our more famous seats, particularly Castle ashby and Easton Neston. Details of pipes, cisterns etc are given.

{25} An historic building survey of the Wren Wing was carried out following a fire in July 2002. The Wren Wing is the sole survivor of two matching wings flaking the forecourt of Easton Neston House. Research undertaken for the survey has indicated that the Wren Wing was probably not designed by Wren himself, as tradition suggests, but by a draughtsman in his employ. It also appears that the building was constructed at the same time as the cellars of the house, during the 1680s, to house other services, possibly a laundry and offices, as well as providing servants' accommodation including a kitchen, a parlour, a hall and numerous bedrooms. The interior plan and fabric of the building incurred a small number of alterations during the 19th century such as the sub-division of bedrooms on the first floor and attic. However, in the 19th century or early 20th century major changes were made to the layout of the building and its fabric. This included alterations to the north face of the main wing, insertion of exterior doorways, new windows, the construction of an extension to the north-west wing and the division of the west wing from the original main wing. It is also likely to have incorporated a remodelling of the roof and its dormer windows. Finally in the latter part of the 20th century, the modern walls were inserted as the building was converted for offices.

{26} Photographs and drawing of board figures, also description of said figures dated November 1894;

{28} Four photos dated June 1962;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 12/48 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F10 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> ENGLISH HERITAGE, 2008, Heritage at Risk Register, 2008, p.39 (checked) (Catalogue). SNN106096.

<5> Heward J.; Taylor R., 1996, The Country Houses of Northamptonshire, p.189-200 (unchecked) (Book). SNN41757.

<6> Beresford C., 1993, Easton Neston, Northamptonshire: Historical Assessment of the Park, (part checked) (Full Report). SNN59608.

<7> Beresford C., 1992, SMR Report form, (part checked) (SMR Report Form). SNN107415.

<8> Arnold A.J.; Howard R.E., 2011?, Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers From The Roof of Easton Neston, Northamptonshire, (part checked) (Report). SNN108059.

<9> Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society, 2011, TACS (Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society) Location Database, (unchecked) (Gazetteer). SNN107648.

<10> Prentice J., 2011, Archaeological building recording at Easton Neston House, Northamptonshire, 2011, (unchecked) (Report). SNN108141.

<11> Photographs of buildings in Easton Neston (Photographs). SNN111650.

<12> CAMDEN, 1806, Britannia, (unchecked) (Book). SNN47888.

<13> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.289 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<14> Morton J., 1712, The Natural History of Northamptonshire, p.493+495 (unchecked) (Book). SNN10113.

<15> Woodfield P., 1992, Towcester Retail Development: Historic Landscape Assessment, (checked) (Full Report). SNN46827.

<16> Mowl T.; Hickman C., 2008, The Historic Gardens of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN106082.

<17> McKee H.; McCulloch P., 1997?, Easton Neston: A Study of Three Hundred Years of Landscape, (unchecked) (Dissertation). SNN48504.

<18> Chancellor A., 2004, Open It To The Public? Not Me, I'll Sell It First, (checked) (Article). SNN104740.

<19> Burman A., 2004, Fool Worked For The King, (checked) (Article). SNN104741.

<20> Woodfield P., 1992, Towcester Retail Development: Historic Landscape Assessment, (checked) (Full Report). SNN46827.

<21> Beresford C., 1993, Easton Neston, Northamptonshire: Historical Assessment of the Park, (part checked) (Full Report). SNN59608.

<22> Beresford C., 1992, SMR Report form, (part checked) (SMR Report Form). SNN107415.

<23> Historic England, Undated, Easton Neston House (Archive). SNN114418.

<24> Downes, K, 1987, Hawksmoor's house at Easton Neston, pp. 50-76 (Article). SNN114499.

<25> Zeepvat, B & Wilcox, S, 2005, Historic Building Survey: The Wren Wing, Easton Neston, Towcester, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN114781.

<26> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/99/1,3,4,5 (Archive). SNN115.

<27> Vernacular Architecture Group, 2000, Dendrochronology Database (Digital archive). SNN116200.

<28> Miss June Swann, 1960s- 70s, Miss June Swann Photographic Archive (Photographs). SNN116665.

Record last edited

Jan 22 2025 12:30PM