Building record 2230/2/6 - Gate Arch, Seat Niche, Walls, Balustrade & Terrace Walls Attached to & South-East of Lilford Hall

Mid C19 by W.G. Habershon of St. Neots. Limestone ashlar.

{1} Gate arch, seat niche, walls, balustrade and terrace walls. Mid C19 by W.G. Habershon of St. Neots. Limestone ashlar. Gatearch to left in Jacobean style has arch-head opening flanked by columns supporting an entablature with bracketed cornice. Device with scrolls and finial above. Flanking walls are rusticated and have open arched parapet. Balustrade attached at right angles to left of gatearch is similar with rusticated square piers, some with ball finials. Seat niche to right is similar to gat arch but with curved back and seat with shell hood. Flanking walls are rusticated. Gate arch and seat niche are linked by terrace walls with central flight of steps. Originally part of formal garden layout to east of Lilford Hall (q.v.). Gatearch forms pair with, and part of, forecourt with Gatearch, walls and balustrade attached to south-west of Lilford Hall (q.v.), Balustrade approximately 30 metres south-west of Lilford Hall, Gates, gateways, balustrade and seat approximately 50 metres north-east, east and south of Lilford Hall (q.v.). (Northamptonshire Records Office, Architectural Drawings Collection; Country Life, Jan 27th 1900, p.112-117).

{2} Formal garden to east of Lilford Hall; gate arch, seat niche, walls, balustrade and terrace walls. Built mid C19th by W.G.Habershon of St Neots. Limestone ashlar. Jacobean style gate arch. Ball finials on wall piers. Seat niche similar to gate arch but with curved back and seat with shell hood. Terrace walls with central flight of steps. Structures were originally part of the formal garden layout.

{3} On the south side of the house beyond stone arches and terraces lies the formal garden sloping gently to a pierced stone balustrade and in front of which stands long row of sentinel yews. Lilford Hall needs all the colour it can get even if given by red paths and masses of bedding-out which here is extremely well done. Photographs include family seated in niche and view of east side of house looking up path with formal garden on each side.

{4} Remodelling of the house by Habershon in 1847 included elaborate garden walls and gateways around the house.

{5} Photograph of the house clearly shows design of parterres to south of house with central path. Photo from Cambridge University collection and no date indicated. [Another article dates this same photograph to 1973.]

{6} View of south-east side of house shows terrace with steps and a row of urns. Also some detail of carpet-bedding of the parterres. Garden seat shown in foreground.

{7} Coloured plan shows No.4 "the Hall and Flower Gardens etc".

{8} Detail of parterres as cropmark shown on same photograph as published in Binney's Lost Gardens article.

{10} Undated photo;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 16/96 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G09 p.48 (checked) (Catalogue). SNN41470.

<3> 1900, Lilford Hall, Oundle: The Seat of Lord Lilford, p.112-7 (checked) (Article). SNN41904.

<4> Heward J.; Taylor R., 1996, The Country Houses of Northamptonshire, p.272 (checked) (Book). SNN41757.

<5> BINNEY M., 1979, Northamptonshire's Lost Gardens, 2143 (checked) (Photographs). SNN41860.

<6> 1876, Untitled Source, (checked) (Photographs). SNN41813.

<7> 1862, Uncertain Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN41852.

<8> BINNEY M., Elysian Gardens, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN41861.

<9> Architectural Drawings Collection, (unchecked) (Drawing). SNN55060.

<10> Photographs of buildings in Lilford (Photographs). SNN112633.

Record last edited

Dec 7 2023 11:35AM