Building record 8576/1/1 - Old Sulehay Lodge & Attached Outbuilding & Barn

A house/hunting lodge with outbuildings situated on the western side of Old Sulehay Road. The buildings are built of regular squared and coursed limestone with Collyweston slate roofs. The buildings are single and two stories high in an irregular L shape. The buildings have stone mullion windows and ashlar dressings and chimney stacks. The hunting lodge has late 15th century origins with additions being made in the 17th century to convert the lodge to a house. A gatehouse and stables were added in 1642. Further enlargements and conversions were made in 1851 and 1892. The surviving grade II listed buildings consist of a gateway and stables with accomodation above, mostly built in 1642.

{1, 2} A collection of 14 coloured prints and over 50 slides largely showing the exterior and interior of the accommodation and selected outbuildings.

{3} Hunting Lodge and stables, now house and attached outbuilding and barn. Late C15 origins for Sir Guy Wolston, early C17, datestone 1642, enlarged 1851 by Browning and again after 1892. Regular coursed and squared coursed limestone with Collyweston slate roof. Original plan indeterminate, now irregular L-shape. Single storey with attic and 2 storeys. Main front, to north, has 3 gables breaking forward in steps, to left. 2 gables, to left, are late C19 additions with stone mullion windows and 2 st rey canted bay window to far left. Other gable is early C17 with C19 porch at ground floor left and C17 round-head arch with jewelled keyblock, now blocked, to right. Three-light stone-mullion window, to first floor, with a similar single light window alongside. Single storey range, with attic, c.1642 is attached to right. This was originally stables and is now part domestic use and part outbuilding. 2 irregularly spaced 3-light stone mullion windows at ground floor. 2 storey gatehouse, attac ed to right, is also c.1642. Ogee moulded segmental carriage arch, now blocked, is set in rectangular frame. 2-light stone mullion window above. Ashlar gable parapets and ashlar stacks at ridge. C19 barn attached to right has central cart entrance, with C20 doors, and flanking pitch holes with C20 glazing. Rear elevation of former stable range has 3 bay arcade, to right, of segmental arches with continuous mouldings all within a rectangular frame. Arcade is now blocked with a C20 door and win ows. Casement window to left and right and 2 Lincolnshire eaves dormers above, with C19 style casement windows. Gable to right is early C17 with a 2-light stone mullion window at first floor. 2-window range, to far right, is probably mid C19 with stone mullion windows. Gatehouse and barn, to far left, are similar to main front elevation with datestone 1642 in apex of gatehouse gable. Interior: gatehouse has semi-circular arched openings, in return walls, each with jewelled keyblock and square s rround. Arch in west wall is now damaged and blocked. First floor of former stable range is noted as having remains of 2 C17 fireplaces and roof structure with 6 collar trusses and clasped purlins. Kitchen, to right, is early C17, originally probably unheated. High ceiling with stop-chamfered spine beam, remains of blocked stone mullion windows in east wall. Upper part of stair rising from this room is said to be original. First floor room above, said to have fireplace with 4-centred arch-hea and roof structure with tie beam and 2 raking struts. Sulehay, was an extra-porochial area of Rockingham Forest and passed from the Yarwell family to Sir Guy Wolston who is said to have rebuilt the lodge. It remained as part of the Apethorpe estate and most of the surviving C17 range dates from 1642. The main house was demolished in 1718 and the stables became a dwelling. It was considerably improved and enlarged mid and late C19.

{5} Land at Sulehay, an extra-parochial area of Rockingham Forest, was held in chief by members of the Yarwell family by virtue of their office of foresters of the Bailiwick of Cliffe from at least the 13th century. The land and office were sold in 1392 and passed to Sir Guy Wolston in the late 15th century, and from then onwards Sulehay was held by the owners of Apethorpe. Wolston himself is said to have rebuilt the lodge; there was a substantial house here in the 17th century which is said to have been demolished in c1718. The surviving buildings consist of a gateway and stables with accommodation above, mostly built in 1642, in which year the owner, Mildmay Fane second Earl of Westmorland, was imprisoned as a Royalist. A mid-17th century list of horses belonging to the Earl mentions two mares and two fillies at Sulehay, which may be taken to indicate breeding. After the demolition of the house the stables were turned into accommodation for the tenant farmer and in this condition were seen in 1790 by John Byng; Browning improved the building in 1851 and it was greatly enlarged after 1892.

{6} Sulehay Lodge has been demolished but some notion of its size is offered by an inventory taken in 1629. Apart from the usual service rooms, 'Sully house' included a hall, a parlour, a drawing room and a number of chambers, including one identified as 'Sir Anthony Mildmaydes Chamber'. Associated with the house were a great stable and a bowling house. The bowling green may have occupied a flat terraced area to the east of the house, overlooking the pool. With its great stable, bowling green and fish pond, Sulehay Lodge was clearly no longer merely a keeper's lodge, but a place where hunting parties could be entertained. It may have even been the lodge where King James dined on the 11th August 1604.

The Rev Bonney claimed in 1828-30 that 'Vere Earl of Westmorland…built the Farmhouse near the Church, with materials brought from the House at Old Suley'. The house is now known as the
Manor House.

{8} Undated photo.

{9} [Former list description] A house/hunting lodge with outbuildings. The buildings are built of regular squared and coursed limestone with Collyweston slate roofs. The buildings are single and two stories high in an irregular L shape. The buildings have stone mullion windows and ashlar dressings and chimneys. The hunting lodge has late 15th century origins with additions to the lodge being made in the 17th century to convert the lodge to a house. A gatehouse and stables were added in 1642. Further enlargements and conversions were made in 1851 and 1892. The range of buildings are Grade II Listed.

{11} Old Sulehay Lodge as described by authy {7} but with modern additions in the form of a north-east wing. Datestone over stables reads 1642. GP AO 62/42/6 - Older portion of house from S.

{12} Report of 1962 correct.

<1> ELLISON M., 1998, SMR REPORT FORM, (unchecked) (SMR Report Form). SNN49119.

<2> ELLISON M., 1998, PHOTOGRAPHS, (unchecked) (Photographs). SNN51650.

<3> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 6/187 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<4> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G12 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN41470.

<5> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1984, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.129 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77384.

<6> Morrison, K., 2016, Apethorpe: The Story of an English Country House, p. 84-5; p. 219 (Book). SNN110397.

<7> Bailey, B, Pevsner, N, and Cherry, B, 2013, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p. 693 (Book). SNN111989.

<8> Photographs of buildings in Nassington (Photographs). SNN112850.

<9> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, District of Listing: East Northamptonshire. 23-MAY-1967 amended 12-OCT-1988 (Report). SNN112993.

<10> Historic England, Undated, Old Sulehay Lodge, Sulehay Road, Northamptonshire, BF084260 (Archive). SNN116175.

<11> Seaman, B H, 1970, Field Investigator's Comments, F1 BHS 11-MAY-70 (Notes). SNN111541.

<12> Seaman, B H, 1970, Field Investigator's Comments, F2 BHS 16-JUN-70 (Notes). SNN111541.

<13> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire I (North-East), BF112022 (Archive). SNN113295.

Record last edited

Mar 1 2024 12:20PM