Building record 8010/1/2 - Service Wing & Attached Chapel at Laxton Hall

Built circa 1809 as the service wing and orangery to Laxton Hall country house. Later used as a school. Modified during the early to mid 20th century to its current use as a residential home and Roman Catholic chapel.

{1} Service wing and orangery to country house now residential home and Roman Catholic Chapel. C.1809 probably to designs by Humphrey Repton carried out by William Carter for George Freke Evans. Orangery reconstructed as a chapel early/mid C20. Squared coursed limestone, limestone ashlar and weatherboarding with Welsh slate roof. Irregular L-shape plan. 2 storeys. Garden front is an irregular 7-window range of casements, those at ground floor are under shallow stone arches and those at first floor a e under stone lintels. The ground floor windows correspond with the basement windows of Laxton Hall and attached steps and balustrade (q.v.). Some windows are blind. Hipped roof with brick and ashlar stacks at ridge. One window range, set back to far left, has tripartite sash with a moulded stone surround and is linked by a narrow flat-roofed element to the garden front of Laxton Hall and attached steps and balustrade (q.v.). Former orangery, now a chapel, is attached at right angles to far right. Portico at end of this range has 4, unfluted, Tuscan Columns, with entasis, and a flight of steps. Only the basement walls of the orangery remain, the ground floor has been reconstructed as a weatherboarded structure. Rear elevation of the service wing has a 3-window range to the centre, 2 bays to the left set back and break forward, with doorway to left, and 2 bays to right are stepped forward. Windows are mainly casements, some with leaded lights. The two ranges which form the L-shape lan are linked by a narrow flat-roofed element. Interior: the range immediately adjacent to Laxton Hall has plaster cornices and some C19 fireplaces. The range at right angles to this contained the kitchens. The staircase has a plain iron balustrade by John Baker. The interior has been remodelled during C20. Humphrey Repton was dismissed in 1808, following a dispute, William Carter probably carried out these works to his design.

{4} Chapel formerly the Orangery built circa 1845.

{7} Undated photo;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 4/157 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

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

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1984, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.112-3 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77384.

<4> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.289 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<5> Freke Evans Collection, (unchecked) (Archive). SNN105541.

<6> Architectural Drawings Collection, (unchecked) (Drawing). SNN105542.

<7> Photographs of buildings in Laxton (Photographs). SNN112600.

<8> Historic England, Undated, LAXTON HALL, LAXTON, BF061879 (Archive). SNN114576.

Record last edited

Jan 10 2023 3:50PM