Building record 364/1/1 - Edgcote House

Country House, built 1748-54 for Richard Chauncy by William Jones. Important fittings by London craftsmen, joinery by Abraham Swan, decorative plasterwork by John Whitehead. Ironstone ashlar with limestone dressings, old tile roof, stone stacks. It replaced an earlier house, which in 1585 had at least 36 rooms. This house briefly belonged to Thomas Cromwell prior to his execution.

{1} Country House, built 1748-54 for Richard Chauncy by William Jones. Important fittings by London craftsmen, joinery by Abraham Swan, decorative plasterwork by John Whitehead. Ironstone ashlar with limestone dressings, old tile roof, stone stacks. Hall and Saloon on central axis with former State Bedroom to left and library to right of hall. Dining Room and Drawing Room flanking the Saloon. Main and secondary stairs on either side of Hall and Saloon in centre of house. Service rooms in basement. Entrance to west. 2 storeys, basement and attic. 9 bays. 3 centre bays project under a pediment. Basement windows have moulded stone frames and 6-pane sashes. Central doorway approached by double flight of stone steps with balustrade, has moulded architrave with triple keystone, pediment on brackets and C20 glazed door. Sash windows on either side with triple keystones. 3-bay side parts have pediment over middle window flanked by windows with keystones. 9-pane sash windows on first floor with moulded architraves and keystones. Modillion cornice, hipped roof. Garden front similar. Side elevations each have 2 storey canted bay in centre. Interior: Hall has stone fireplace framed by scrolls, frieze with blank tablet framed by cornucopiae and open scroll pediment. Panelled ceiling, the ribs with guilloche mouldings. Frieze has tripglyphs alternating with rosettes and rococo cartouches. Entrance to Saloon flanked by arched niches. Doorways have enriched architraves with friezes of bay leaves and 6-panel doors. Saloon has stone fireplace with scroll brackets and a relief of cherubs, birds and dogs. Wood overmantel with fluted Corinthian half-columns and open scroll pediment. Panelled walls and carved doorcases. Ceiling has rococo plasterwork with oval centrepiece of leaf scrolls, flowers and exotic birds and beasts. Portrait medallions in corners. Dining Room has carved wooden fireplace with overmantel similar to that in Saloon, panelled walls and plaster frieze of leaf scrolls and heads. Drawing Room has marble fireplace framed by columns of composite order, the capitals carved with squirrels, the frieze with cherubs. Wooden overmantel with broken pediment and pendants of fruit and flowers. Morning Room (former study) has marble fireplace with carved wooden overmantel, moved from Family Parlour (now kitchen). Library (now Billiard Room) and former State Bedroom were altered in the C19. Open-well mahogany staircase, has balusters carved with wave mouldings and a carved string instead of tread ends. Coved ceiling and square cupola with elaborate plaster work decoration. Said to be re-used C17 panelling from old house in attic rooms. Park laid out in C18, has lake fed from the River Cherwell and an irrigation system with dams and a lock to supply the kitchen garden (q.v.) and power for the Mill (q.v.). Work on the park began in the 1740s before the house was rebuilt. The old house faced south towards the church. It is shown on an estate map dated 1713 at Edgcote House. In 1543 it was purchased by William Chauncy and in 1742 passed to Richard Chauncy, a London merchant. His account books for the re-building and furnishing of Edgcote preserved at the house, record the names of masons and craftsmen, William Smith of Warwick designed the stables (q.v.) shortly before he died in 1747 and may have made designs for the house. However, William Jones was paid for drawing plans and surveying. There is no evidence that his plans were based on designs by Smith. Abraham Swan was well known for the publication of several pattern books notably "A Collection of Designs in Architecture", 1757, the joinery at Edgcote is important as a realisation of his own designs. (H. Colvin, Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 1970, p.799,764,76; H. A Tipping, Edgcote House; Country Life, 10th January 1920; Robert Taylor, R.C.H.M. pers. Comm.).

{4} A watching brief was undertaken during the digging of a pit in the basement to install a replacement lift. No archaeological features or artefacts were found in the re-excavated lift pit.

{5} A historic building assessment of the kitchen and lift prior to their being renovated. The report concludes that both elements detract from the quality and appearance of the house so nothing will be lost in their removal.

{7} Built 1747-52 for Richard Chauncey by William Jones; stables built 1747 & designed by W Smith of Warwick; house cost over £20000 to build

{8} Description of house

{9} Edgcote House was built in 1747-52 on the site of an earlier house and, it is said, within the village. However a plan of 1710 showing the house with gardens to the east depicts the church within the garden.

{10} Old manor house taken down middle of last century

{11} Manor house erected 1752 by Richard Chauney Esq almost on site of old manor house;

{13} Undated photo, also photo dated 7.6.1991;

{14} Inventory of earlier house undertaken in 1585. There were at least 36 rooms.

{15} [Former list description]
I Edgcote House
About 1750. A symmetrical rectangular block built for Richard Chauncy by William Jones, Surveyor to the East India Company, possibly carrying out a design by William Smith (Colvin, and see Stable Block). Three storeys and attic, brown stone with grey stone dressings, hipped old tile roof. East and west fronts of identical design of 9 bays with four dormers, plain string at 1st floor level, moulded string at 1st floor cill level, bracketted cornice and parapet with ball finials on angles, repeated on pediment. The three central bays with slight projection and pediment with cartouche of arms in tympanum. All windows have eared architrave surrounds and triple key blocks, those on 1st floor have an additionl pulvinated frieze and cornice. The central 1st floor window of each flanking part has a pediment. Central glazed doors in similar surround but with console brackets supporting pediment, at 1st floor level, approached by a double stone stair with balustrades and right angle returns at foot. A lower central door under stair has architrave and key block.
The interior has a range of reception rooms on the east side with varying detail of wall and cornice design, the latter with brackets and enrichment, and varying C.18 marble fireplaces. Doors generally 6 panel. The central hall has stone paved floor, plaster panelled walls, Doric entablature with triglyphs and panels between of floral and scroll design. Marble fireplace surround of double consoles, entablature and broken double curved pediment. Doors have enriched friezes and cornice heads, central inner door with pediment and flanked by wall niches. Main staircas with turned balusters, plaster panelled walls with busts on brackets at upper level, has rectangular lantern over deep coved ceiling on bracketted enriched cornice and with further plaster enrichment on interior of lantern.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 5/118 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F02 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

<3> Heward J.; Taylor R., 1996, The Country Houses of Northamptonshire, p.203 (unchecked) (Book). SNN41757.

<4> Chapman P., 2006, Edgcote House, Northamptonshire: New Lift Pit, (checked) (Report). SNN105594.

<5> Doggett, N, 2006, Historic Building Appraisal in respect of Edgecote House, Northamptonshire, (checked) (Report). SNN105460.

<7> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.209 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<8> 1752, DIARY OF ROBERT ANDREW, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN47774.

<9> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.47 site 1 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<10> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.117 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<11> Baker G., 1822-36, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.495 (unchecked) (Book). SNN10400.

<12> 1710, MAP, (unchecked) (Map). SNN47321.

<13> Photographs of buildings in Edgcote (Photographs). SNN111811.

<14> Beeson, CFC, 1965, Edgcote House in 1585, p. 19-22 (Article). SNN111992.

<15> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, DOE(HHR) Dist. of Brackley R.D. Northants. Sept. 1960 34 (Report). SNN112993.

<16> Historic England, Undated, EDGCOTE HOUSE, EDGCOTE, BF061867 (Archive). SNN116264.

Record last edited

Oct 24 2024 11:46AM