Building record 1682/1/1 - Kirby Hall

Kirby Hall is a country house in Gretton, Northamptonshire. Construction began in 1570 for Sir Humphrey Stafford and it was completed 1583 for Sir Christopher Hatton I. It was probably modified in the early 17th century for Sir Christopher Hatton II and altered in 1638-40 for Sir Christopher Hatton III. Built of squared coursed limestone with ashlar dressings and a slate roof, the house is of a courtyard plan and two storeys with an attic. The entrance front, dating to 1638-40, is a thirteen window range. The centre three bays break forward and there are central arch-head openings to the rusticated ground and first storeys. That to the ground floor is flanked by niches. There are three second-floor windows and two similar openings above with a circular stone dial between. The centre three bays of each range flanking the porch break forward slightly. All ground floor windows have segmental arch heads, some with leaded casements and iron grilles. The first floor window openings are similar but have square heads. The end bays have arch-head door openings with balconies to the first floor and pediments above. There are the remains of a similar pedimented treatment to the centre of each range flanking the porch. The parapets to porch and flanking ranges have turned balusters. Attached to the ends of the entrance front are walls which form a forecourt to the house. During the 18th century Kirby Hall fell into decline and many of the contents were sold in 1772. Part of it remained inhabited, however, and was in occasional use by the end of the 19th century. In 1930 the Office of Works began to manage the property, after which time repairs were also carried out to the building so as to stabilise it. In 1998 some of the rooms were used in the filming of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. Kirby Hall is currently (2011) opened to the public by English Heritage.

{1} Country house. 1570-75, probably by Thomas Thorpe master mason, for Sir Humphrey Stafford, completed 1576-83 for Sir Christopher Hatton I. Probably modified by Henry Thorpe early C17 for Sir Christopher Hatton II and altered 1638-40 after style of Inigo Jones, probably by Nicholas Stone, for Sir Christopher Hatton III. Squared coursed limestone with ashlar dressings and slate roof. Courtyard plan. 2 storeys with attic. Entrance front of 1638-40 is of 13-window range. Centre 3 bays break forward s a 3-storey porch with centre bay taken up as attic storey. Central arch-head opening is flanked by niches. Similar opening at first floor has keyblock and panelled pilasters and gives access to balcony with plain iron balustrade. Flanking window openings have moulded architraves and cornice and pulvinated frieze over. 3 second-floor windows have plain stone surrounds and attic parapet has 2 similar openings with circular stone dial between. Centre 3 bays of each range flanking the porch bre k forward slightly. All ground floor windows have segmental arch heads and moulded stone and eared architraves, some with leaded casements and iron grilles. First floor window openings are similar with square heads having moulded cornice and pulvinated frieze. End bays have arch-head door openings at first floor with balconies similar to porch. Pediments over have ball finials and supporting volutes with open roundels. Remains of similar pedimented treatment to centre of each range flanking the porch. Ground and first floor of porch are rusticated ashlar and second floor has similar quoins. Moulded frieze and cornice between floors and below parapet. Parapets to porch and flanking ranges have turned balusters. End bays have ashlar stacks with rusticated bases and shafted flues. Attached to the ends of the entrance front are walls which form a forecourt to the house. These have 3 elaborate gateways, that to centre with frosted rustication, broken pediment with cartouche, niches at th sides and a section of balustrading either side beyond. The gates to sides have coping, over the overthrow and side niches, and merlons on top. Garden front to right of entrance front is of 1570s to left and 1580s to right. Irregular 18-window range of mainly 4-, 6- and 8-light stone mullion and transom windows, some with leaded lights, others blocked. One bay to far left has similar first floor balcony to the porch and corresponding end bays of entrance front. Bays 2 to 6 from left are grou ed in pairs with lateral stacks between. Gables between stacks have scrolls, volutes and ball finials. Bays 7 and 8 from left are late C17 and break forward to house great staircase. 4 bays from right also break forward with 5-window range between each projection forming a symmetrical elevation. Varying sized gables over bays to right of garden front have scrolls, volutes and obelisks distinctive of work on this elevation completed for Sir Christopher Hatton I. Garden front terminates to far eft with pair of large late C16 stone bow windows of 30-lights to ground floor and 20-lights to first floor. 6-light attic windows with stepped heads are set in curved gables. Range to right is now blank forming the south elevation of the Great Hall. Lateral stack and door opening on axis of courtyard with flight of steps. Brick staircase projection to right of Great Hall is of 1630-40 and gave acces to chambers formed over domestic offices, now gone. Elevation to left of main front is remain of irregular 9-window range; bay to far right has similar first floor door opening with balcony as porch and corresponding end bays of main front. Courtyard elevations; rear of entrance front, has datestone 1640 which refers to remodellings. 9-window range with open loggia to ground floor. Centre of first floor has arch head door opening giving acces to balcony, broken pediment over with bust by Nicholas Stone. First floor window openings has moulded and eared architraves with alternate bracke triangular and segmental pediments over. Giant ionic reeded and decorated pilasters between bays. Centre 3 bays are taken up to second floor with 2 windows and central dial. Supporting scrolls and balustered parapet over. Opposite elevation is Great Hall and Buttery range. Central 2-storey porch dated 1572 and 1638 has arch-head opening flanked by ionic pilasters. First floor opening with balcony is similar to opposite elevation and is flanked by Corinthian columns and brackets supporting de orated frieze and cornice. Curved gable above is decorated with 7 Corinthian colonettes and strapwork. Three and half bays flanking porch have 16- and 20-light stone mullion and transom windows with giant pilasters between. 6-window ranges to left and right side of courtyard have stone mullion windows with giant pilasters between alternate bays. Moulded cornice and decorated frieze. Gable abutments in the hall range are similar to hall porch. Interior: Great Hall has barrel vaulted ceiling wi h elaborately carved wind braces and ribs, fragment of similar ceiling to long gallery in west range. C17 panelled gallery in Great Hall. Porch has 2 C17 plaster ceilings. 2 staircases have moulded stone handrails. Various moulded stone fireplace surrounds throughout the house. Kirby Hall passed from the Hattons to the Finch Hattons and ceased to be maintained as a residence from the early C19 onwards. Owned by Winchelsea estate in guardianship of HBMCE. Kirby Hall is scheduled as an ancient onument. (Garden is included in the HBMC County Register of Gardens at Grade II*; Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.279; Kirby Hall by G.H. Chettle, Country Life, Vol.XX, p.558).

{3} Kirby Hall was begun in 1570 for Sir Humphrey Stafford. The mason was in all probability Thomas Thorpe. The designer of the house is unknown. Kirby is in several ways one of the most important houses of its date in England. It is also a a visually rewarding house, in its rather bleak situation with ironstone mining close by and no village or church to relieve its loneliness.

{4} Scheduled Ancient Monument No.12.

{9} Article on marked window leads.

{10} Kirby Hall is located in the parish of Gretton, some 27 miles from Northampton and just 2 miles to the north of Corby. The property comprises the ruin of a great mansion of the C16th and later, some of which is roofed but devoid of furnishings, the remainder of which comprises shell walls of the inner courtyard and surrounding ranges.
The present house was built between 1570 and 1575 probably by Thomas Thorpe, master mason, for Sir Humphrey Stafford of Blatherwycke. Architecturally sophisticated, with elements which appear to derive form French sources including the use of a giant order to articulate the four facades of the inner courtyard, and an entrance loggia, the house was probably largely structurally completed but possibly not entirely fitted out at the time of Stafford’s death in 1575. His brother, John Stafford, sold the house and estate to Sir Christopher Hatton (1540-91) in 1578 for £3,000. Hatton, a favourite courtier of Elizabeth and later her chancellor, was also building a great house at Holdenby. Nevertheless Hatton modified and enlarged Kirby, adding a state apartment at the south-west corner, moving chimney stacks to the inside of the ranges and windows of principal rooms from inner to outer fronts to look across the gardens. This work, thought to have been carried out between 1575 and the 1580s, is significant as it is an early example of a great house being rearranged to look outwards rather than inwards on to a courtyard.
The house was again remodelled between 1638 and 1640 by Nicholas Stone for Sir Christopher Hatton III, the work being commemorated by date stones on the north range of the building. Documentary evidence also suggests that there was substantial refurbishment of the interiors between 1660 and 1661 (some details given in text).
Sir Christopher Hatton III died in 1670 and was succeeded by his son, Sir Christopher Hatton IV, although since he had taken over his father’s position as Governor of Guernsey form 1664 he was seldom at Kirby after this date. He was created Viscount Hatton of Gretton in 1683 and largely devoted the remainder of his life to developing the estate, focussing on the remodelling and planting of the garden. He died in 1706.
The estate passed to his son William who was involved in lawsuits, and by 1729 had mortgaged the estate for £10,000 and little is known of how the house developed during this period. William died in 1760 and was succeeded by his brother Henry Charles, who died unmarried two years later.
In 1764 the estate passed to Henry’s nephew Edward Finch-Hatton, the younger son of Lord Winchilsea. Henry also inherited Eastwell in Kent in 1769 and from this time Kirby began to fall into decline. It has been suggested by Gotch that the house was unoccupied in 1810. It is reported that the Winchilseas finally left in 1836 after which time the house was partially occupied by their agent mr Webster. He was followed bby a farmer and a labourer. The last known occupants were Mr and Mrs Hawkes, who are understood to have resided in the hall until the early 1950s.

{17} Eighteen undated photos;

{19} Trial trench evaluation in the shell of the west range identified a possible pre-hall buried soil which contained a range of finds incuding pottery, nails, slag, animal bone and charred grain possibly associated with the remains of the deserted medieva village. Features relating to the development and occupation of the Hall were present, as construction levels, internal brick floors and a possible doorway and partition walls, including a remnant of in situ wall plaster.

{34} Two undated photos;

{36} Kirby Hall is in the care of the Ministry of Works who are at present engaged upon restoration.
GPs AO/61/138/7. Exterior from SE.
" " " " /8 " " SW.
" " "/139/1 Courtyard interior from NW
" " " "/2 " " " SW
" " " "/3 Aspect from NW

{4, 7, 37, 38, 39} History

KIRBY HALL was begun in 1570 for Sir Humphrey Stafford of Blatherwick, enlarged after Sir Humphrey's death in 1575 for Sir Christopher Hatton of Holdenby, and 'modernised' between 1638 and 1640 for Christopher Hatton, afterwards Baron Hatton of Kirby. The Hattons owned the Hall until 1764, when it passed from Elizabeth Hatton to her nephew, Edward Finch-Hatton, whose descendants, the Earls of Winchilsea and Nottingham, have retained the estate to the present day.

Description

The house lies in a secluded hollow. To the south runs a little stream, which formed the boundary of Sir Humphrey Stafford's property. South and west, on either side of the stream, were then a small village and a church or chapel. The approaches to the house were from Gretton on the north-west, from Deene on the east, and from the Deene-Gretton road on the south. This last approach led to the village, turned eastward, crossed the stream by the stone bridge which still remains, and skirted the east side of the orchard and house to join the east-west avenue. Sir Christopher Hatton acquired the land south of the stream before 1587, by exchange with Thomas Brudenell. Surveys made in 1585 and 1587 in the possession of the Earl of Winchilsea show the Hall, the church and village, and the road; but give no indication of any layout of the ground or of the avenues, traces of which still remain, leading northwards on the axes of the formal garden and the forecourt, and eastward on the axis of the two gateways in the forecourt. By the eighteenth century church and village had been swept away. The Ordinance Survey map of 1824 shows the main outlines of the gardens, and the great avenue of four lines of trees north of the garden. The east-west avenue, three-quarters of a mile in length, was cut down in 1873 or 1874.

The Design

The design carried out for Sir Humphrey Stafford is a striking proof of the extent to which classic influences were affecting not only the ornament but also the planning of English buildings. The picturesque 'functionalism' of mediaeval planning was giving way to the strictest symmetry. Only on the south is there an indication of an earlier habit of thought, where Thorpe has drawn as an afterthought a great semi-circular bay-window in the private lodgings which is not balanced by any similar projection in the kitchen wing. A detailed examination of the building seems to indicate that this original plan was more closely adhered to by Sir Humphrey Stafford than the present aspect of the house suggests. Probably the kitchens in the south-east were never completed according to the first plan; but the lapse from symmetry on the long west front of the house is due to later alterations. No documentary evidence has yet been found to prove the date at which they were made, but the probability is that they were ordered by the first Sir Christopher Hatton, who in spite of his earlier neglect of the house certainly visited it at times during the last ten years of his life. He is said to have built the stables, which lay to the north of the house, in 1590, though according to another account these were built in 1595. The Thorpe drawings, on the other hand, overlap the seventeenth century, and Henry Thorpe may have supervised the alterations for Sir Christopher II (1597-1619), who spent money lavishly on entertaining James I and his queen, and may well have added to the house to meet the demands of such hospitality. The evidence to be gleaned from the building itself is not conclusive. It is tempting to suggest that the first alterations to Kirby were carried out to the designs of Henry, the son of Thomas Thorpe. They showed the marked characteristics of many of the elevations in the Thorpe Collection but are not of quite the same character as the original building.

{40} Kirby Hall is country house in Gretton, Northamptonshire. Construction began in 1570 for Sir Humphrey Stafford and it was completed 1583 for Sir Christopher Hatton I. It was probably modified in the early 17th century for Sir Christopher Hatton II and altered in 1638-40 for Sir Christopher Hatton
III. Built of squared coursed limestone with ashlar dressings and a slate roof, the house is of a courtyard plan and two storeys with an attic.

The entrance front, dating to 1638-40, is a thirteen window range. The centre three bays break forward and there are central arch-head openings to the rusticated ground and first storeys. That to the ground floor is flanked by niches. There are three second-floor windows and two similar openings above with a circular stone dial between. The centre three bays of each range flanking the porch break forward slightly. All ground floor windows have segmental arch heads, some with leaded casements and iron grilles. The first floor window openings are similar but have square heads. The end bays have arch-head door openings with balconies to the first floor and pediments above. There are the remains of a similar pedimented treatment to the centre of each range flanking the porch. The parapets to porch and flanking ranges have turned balusters. Attached to the ends of the entrance front are walls which form a forecourt to the house.

{41} During the 18th century Kirby Hall fell into decline and many of the contents were sold in 1772. Part of it remained inhabited, however and was in occasional use by the end of the 19th century. In 1930 the Office of Works began to manage the property. Repairs were also carried out to the building so as to stabilise, rather than reconstruct it. In 1998 some of the rooms were used in the filming of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 5/16 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G11 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN41470.

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

<4> 1983, HBMC LIST OF SCHEDULED MONUMENTS, (checked) (Mention). SNN45542.

<5> Heward J.; Taylor R., 1996, The Country Houses of Northamptonshire, p.245 (unchecked) (Book). SNN41757.

<6> Jenkins S., 2003, England's Thousand Best Houses, p.545-46 (unchecked) (Extract). SNN104722.

<7> Chettle G.H., Kirby Hall, p.558 (unchecked) (Article). SNN104646.

<8> Hall, J., 2004, Kirby Hall Restored To Its Former Glory, (checked) (Newspaper cuttings). SNN107677.

<9> SOCIETY FOR POST MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY, 2012, Post-Medieval Archaeology (46 pt2), 46 pt 2 p.298 (checked) (Journal). SNN108458.

<10> Prentice J.; Walker C.; Parry S., 2012, Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment of Kirby Hall, Northamptonshire, p.2 (checked) (Report). SNN109199.

<11> Jamieson E., 2013, Kirby Hall, Northamptonshire: The Garden and Settlement Remains Surrounding The Elizabethan Mansion House, Archaeological Survey Report, (unchecked) (Report). SNN109686.

<12> Dix B.; Soden I.; Hylton T., 1995, Kirby Hall and Its Gardens: Excavations in 1987-1994, p.291-380 (unchecked) (Report). SNN74020.

<13> 1640 circa, Ground Floor Plan of Kirby Hall (NRO FH 802), (unchecked) (Plan). SNN39881.

<14> Baker G., 1822-36, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Book). SNN10400.

<15> Gotch J.A., 1936, The Old Halls and Manor Houses of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Book). SNN44101.

<16> Hey G., 1981, Kirby Hall, Drainage Excavations in North Arcading, (unchecked) (Report). SNN109698.

<17> Photographs of buildings in Gretton (Photographs). SNN111741.

<18> Morris S., 2011, Summary Report of The Archaeological Trial Trench Evaluation in The West Range, Kirby Hall, Northamptonshire December 2011 (Report). SNN108169.

<19> Morris S., 2012, Archaeological Trial Trench Evaluation in the West Range, Kirby Hall, Northamptonshire December 2011 (Report). SNN108289.

<20> Brooks, A. & Pearce, J. (Eds.), 2013, Post-Medieval Archaeology (47 pt2), 47pt2/437 (Journal). SNN109294.

<21> 1996, The Archaeological Journal (152), (unchecked) (Journal). SNN54702.

<22> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1991, Garden Archaeology, (unchecked) (Report). SNN62691.

<23> Dryden H., Memorials of Old Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN104790.

<24> Selkirk A.; Selkirk W. (Editors), 2002-2006, Current Archaeology, 190/471 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN102397.

<25> DIX B., 1991, Towards the Restoration of a Period Garden: An interim report on archaeological excavation and related investigation at Kirby Hall, (unchecked) (Article). SNN70041.

<26> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<27> Gotch J.A., Historic Notes on Kirby Hall, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN104789.

<28> STEANE J.M., 1977, The Development of Tudor and Stuart Garden Design in Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Article). SNN69732.

<29> Treswell R., 1586, Kirby (NRO FH 272/9), (unchecked) (Map). SNN72124.

<30> 1750 circa, Kirby (NRO Map 3281B), (unchecked) (Map). SNN109697.

<31> Thorpe J., 1570 circa, Kirby Hall, (unchecked) (Plan). SNN39879.

<32> Mowl T.; Hickman C., 2008, The Historic Gardens of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN106082.

<33> Treswell R., 1586, Kirby (NRO FH 272/8), (unchecked) (Map). SNN46187.

<34> Photographs of buildings in Bulwick (Photographs). SNN112158.

<35> Linford, N, 2022, Kirby Hall, Gretton, North Northamptonshire: Report on Geophysical Survey, July 2021, https://doi.org/10.5284/1110878 (Report). SNN113425.

<36> Seaman, B H, 1961, Field investigators comments, F1 BHS 9-AUG-61 (Notes). SNN112887.

<37> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, District of Kettering, February 1950, p. 20 (Report). SNN112993.

<38> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 59-60 (Series). SNN77380.

<39> English Heritage, Register of Parks & Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England (Northamptonshire), Part 30 (Report). SNN113766.

<40> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, Corby, 06-MAR-1987, 1753, p. 35-6 (Report). SNN112993.

<41> Worsley, L, 2000, Kirby Hall, p. 34-6 (Book). SNN115349.

<42> Historic England, Kirby Hall, Significant archive (Archive). SNN115350.

<43> David Smith, 1980s?, Northants Buildings, 14 colour slides (Slides). SNN116363.

Record last edited

Oct 24 2024 11:43AM