Building record 1189/5/1 - Barnwell Manor

Country house constructed near to the original Barnwell Castle after the Dissolution. It was extended in 1913.

{1} Manor house. Probably late C16, C17, for Montagu family, and mid C18, late C18/early C19 and late C19/early C20, parts by Gotch and Saunders, remodelling by Sir A. Richardson. Squared coursed limestone with limestone and lias ashlar dressings and facades. Colleyweston slate roofs. Original plan is indeterminate, now irregular double depth. 2 storeys with attics. Entrance front of 3 gabled bays. Irregular 4-window range of 3-light and 4-light stone mullion windows with king mullions; all under hood moulds. Centre and right gables have 3- and 4-light stone mullion attic windows, respectively. Narrow single-light windows to first floor right of centre and left gables. 4-light window above porch and 3-light window in gable above are both late C16/C17. Other windows are late C19/early C20. Evidence of C18 sash window head, above study window, to left of porch. Central late C19/early C20 ashlar porch has square-head outer doorway with moulded stone surround. Parapet has central armorial panel of the Montagu family and flanking obelisks at the corners. 2-light stone mullion windows in return walls. Chamfered plinth and moulded string course. Ashlar gable parapets, kneelers and finials. Ashlar ridge stack with moulded cornice. Straight joints between centre and flanking gables indicate different builds probably from late C16 to late C17. Return wall to left of entrance front has stone mullion window at ground floor with attic gablet above. Range set back to right of entrance front is by Gotch and Saunders in C17 style. Tall central gable and bay to left. Large stone mullion window, with transom, to attic level of central gable. Smaller gablet to left. Other windows are similar: stone mullions with transoms. Ashlar gable parapets, kneelers and finials and ashlar ridge stacks with moulded cornices. Square armorial plaque, of the Montagu family, to first floor level. Range to rear left of entrance front is early C20 and was added after the range to the right, in C17 style. Tall gable to far left. Large stone mullion windows with transoms. Ashlar gable parapets, kneelers and finials. Ashlar lateral stacks to right of gable and adjacent to attic gablet on return wall, to left. Garden front, to rear of entrance front, has late C18/early C19 centre range of lias ashlar with limestone ashlar dressings. 3 sash windows to right, with glazing bars, under gauged stone heads with keyblocks. Large polygonal bay to left with similar sash windows to 3 faces and conical roof. Raised band between floors. Range to left is by Gotch and Saunders possibly incorporating some earlier work. This range was modified in the early C20. 4 bays with tall gable to far left, 2- and 3-light stone mullion windows with transoms and hood moulds. Attic windows have eaves dormers with gablets. Ashlar gable parapets and kneelers and ashlar ridge stacks with moulded cornices. Single-storey service buildings, in similar style, are attached to far left of this range. Range to right, added early C20, in similar style. Tall gable to far right. Large stone mullion windows with transoms. Ashlar gable parapets and kneelers. Interior: entrance hall has C17 panelling, probably reset, with reeded pilasters flanking archway to staircase hall. Plaster ceiling with vine leaf decoration. Mid C17 painted panel with the Montagu arms set into panelling to left of entrance. Inner staircase hall is early C20 in C17 style. Staircase, with moulded splat balusters, rises around an open well with half landing. Study to left of entrance hall has early C20 panelling. Dining room to centre of garden front has C18 style pine panelling, C18 style fireplace surround and dentilled cornice. Sitting room, to left of dining room, has C18 style bolection moulded panelling and fireplace with eared and moulded surround. Dentilled cornice. Early C20 Drawing room to far left has panelling, installed about 1938, by Sir Albert Richardson. 5 inset painted panels of about 1735-40 depict the Duke of Rutland hunting near Haddon Hall. First floor rooms of late C16/C17 entrance front have spine beams. Attic above has plaster floor. Internal wall of this range is noted as having a late C16/C17 window opening. Barnwell Manor was probably developed as a dwelling by the Montagu family after Barnwell Castle (q.v.) ceased to be used for domestic purposes. It is thought possible that one bay of the existing entrance front was in existance as a porters lodge or similar service building when Barnwell Castle was still in use as a residence. It is possible that the two flanking bays of the entrance front were linked during the C17 to give the triple gable arrangement. Building work was carried out in the mid C18 and late C18/early C19 including the garden front centre range. The flanking wings were added late C19/early C20. In 1913 the house was sold by the Duke of Buccleuch to Mr. Horace Czarnikov who added the drawing room wing and carried out alteration to the service wings. Mrs. MacGarth, a subsequent owner, is noted as introducing reset panelling. The house was sold in 1938 to Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester who employed Sir Albert Richardson to carry out certain internal remodelling. (Barnwell Manor gardens are included in the H.B.M.C.E. Register of Gardens at grade II; Buildings of England, Northamptonshire:.p101; Hussey, C.: Country Life, September 10 1959: p238-241 and September 17 1959: p298-301; Traylers A.R. (editor) Barnwell in Northamptonshire: p3-7; Giggins B.: unpublished research).

{3} At the Dissolution a new house was built close to the mediavel Barnwell Castle [ TL 08 NW 1 ] It is gabled with mullioned and transomed windows, but was much added to in 1913.

{6} Undated photo;

{10} The seat of the Duke of Gloucester.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 9+20/19 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G10 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN41470.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.103 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> HARRIS F.R, 1912, The Life of Edward Montagu, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN57518.

<5> Barnwell Manor, (unchecked) (Postcard). SNN106476.

<6> Photographs of buildings in Barnwell (Photographs). SNN111911.

<7> Bryant; Greenwood, 1827?, County Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN54941.

<8> Heward J.; Taylor R., 1996, The Country Houses of Northamptonshire, p.79-81 (part checked) (Book). SNN41757.

<9> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), OS 6" 1958 (Map). SNN112944.

<10> Baird, J, 1969, Field Investigators Comments, F1 JB 01-OCT-69 (Note). SNN111452.

<11> Historic England, BARNWELL CASTLE, BARNWELL, BF061842 (Archive). SNN114878.

Record last edited

Oct 24 2024 11:46AM