Building record 112/1/1 - Lyveden Old Bield & Attached Outbuildings

Manor house built in the late 16th century for the Tresham family. With early 20th century alterations. Built of limestone ashlar with Colleyweston and Welsh slate roofs. L-shaped, two storey building. [Also known as Lyveden Manor; Lyveden Old Building]

{1} Also known as Lyveden Manor. Manor house. Late C16 for Tresham family with early C20 alterations. Limestone ashlar with Collyweston and Welsh slate roofs. L-shape plan, originally part of larger house with open courtyard. 2 storeys with attic. Main front to west is a 3-window range with gable to left. Large 6-light ovolo-moulded stone-mullion windows, with king mullions, to ground and first floor left. One transom to ground floor window and 2 transoms to first floor hall window. Lights to far left and right are now blocked internally. Similar 3-light windows with transoms, to right, and C20 two-light first floor window to centre. 3-light stone-mullion attic window in gable. The window to ground floor right was originally a doorway. Moulded string course above window heads. Chamfered plinth and ashlar gable parapets and kneelers. Central ashlar stack with square flues linked by arches below an entablature. Billeted moulded panel below attic window. Outbuilding at right angles to right of main front is linked to main house by C20 porch. Outbuilding has ashlar gable parapets and 3-light stone mullion window in rear wall. Elevation to left of main front is a 2-window range of large 3-light cavetto-moulded stone mullion windows with transoms. Central plank door has moulded stone surround with 4-centred arch head. Building attached to left has lower eaves level. Gable end to left has 3-light stone mullion windows with arch-head lights to ground and first floor. Gable end to right of main front has 3-light stone mullion window, with transom, to first floor and similar 3-light attic window. Rear elevation of main front is of 2 bays with one-window range. 2-light stone mullion window with transom to first floor right. Doorway below is now a 2-light window. Large lateral stack to left has similar flues to those on main front. Elevation of return wall to right is of 2 bays. Large 3-light stone mullion windows to ground and first floor left. One transom to ground floor window and 2 transoms to first floor hall window. Bay to right is a 2-window range of 3-light stone mullion windows at landing levels of former staircase hall. Gabled eaves dormers above this bay. Moulded string course between floors rise over one staircase window head. Plank door, with chamfered stone surround and 4-centred arch head, to right. Large ashlar stack, similar to that at main front, rises from valley. Ashlar gable parapet to right has moulded finial. Building attached to right has lower eaves and C20 openings. Ashlar gable parapet with square finial. Interior: drawing room has moulded wood cornice, probably reset. Ground and first floor doorways to former staircase hall have moulded stone surrounds and 4-centred arch heads. Similar chamfered surrounds to other door openings, some now covered. Hearth of fireplace to first floor hall remains. Interior subdivided early C20 and staircase removed to America. Archway to courtyard, for Sir Lewis Tresham, now at Fermyn Woods Hall, Brigstock. Lyveden Old Bield was owned by the Tresham family from mid C15.

{5} Previously hidden basement windows and stone drains seen during the consruction of new terracing to the south and east of the house. Small amount of glazed roof tile probably of C13/14th was also found.

{8} The Old Bield (listed grade I) is an L-plan building of two storeys with attics, of ashlar and a stone-slated roof. Its windows, the most striking feature of the house, are large, mullioned and transomed. The house incorporates a fragment of a C16 building, with a very substantial south range added to the house by Lewis Tresham (1578 1639; cr bt 1611) who inherited the estate on the death of his brother Francis and gained full possession on the death of his mother in 1615. As reconstructed in the early C17 the house was U-plan, facing west. It was reduced in size c 1700, and again in the early C19.

{10} Study of the Manor House or Old Build subsequent to its purchase by the National Trust. It endeavours to establish a history of its development through documentary sources and inspection of the standing structural fabric of the building. Targeted building recording took place during works to convert the building for National Trust use.

{14} Undated photo, also nine photos dated 22.11.93;

{17} [SP 9817 8588] Lyveden Old Building

{18} Lyveden Old Building belonged to the Treshams as early as the mid 15th century. Of the original building, one wing with mullioned and transomed windows survives.

{19} The existing (Lyveden) Old Building is in fact a few years younger than the New Building (C.1600) but one or two remnants of its predecessor are built into it.

{?} As described by authy's {18} and {19}. GP AO 62/41/2 - Lyveden Old Building from W.

<1> Hall D.N., 1960-1999, Rockingham Forest Project: Archaeological Sites Recorded by David Hall, (unchecked) (Database). SNN102279.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 1/2 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G08 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN41470.

<3> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.372 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<4> Heward J.; Taylor R., 1996, The Country Houses of Northamptonshire, p.277-82 (unchecked) (Book). SNN41757.

<5> CADMAN G.E., 1990, SMR REPORT FORM, (unchecked) (Note). SNN50248.

<6> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.299 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<7> Dix B., 1992, Recent Work in Northamptonshire Archaeology, p.118 (unchecked) (Article). SNN104441.

<8> Stamper P., 2000, Lyveden New Bield (Register of Parks & Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England), (checked) (Report). SNN106559.

<9> Loxston, Rev. G.R., 1977, Church of Saint Andrew, Brigstock, (unchecked) (Guide). SNN108952.

<10> Prentice, J. and Soden, I., 2017-2020, Lyveden Old Build – an archaeological appraisal of the building and its former built environs (Report). SNN110821.

<11> Crank, N. (Editor), 2018, South Midlands Archaeology (48), p. 59 (Journal). SNN111393.

<12> Various, Various, Photographs of buildings in Aldwincle (Photographs). SNN111147.

<13> Gotch Saunders & Surridge, 1988-90, Lyveden Old Bield, Architect's Plans (Plan). SNN111684.

<14> Photographs of buildings in Aldwincle (Photographs). SNN111847.

<15> Taylor, H and Vickers, P, 2014, Lyveden Old Bield, New Bield and Gardens: Conservation Management Plan (Report). SNN116214.

<16> LYVEDEN NEW BUILDING, ALDWINCLE (Archive). SNN116297.

<17> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), OS 6" 1958. (Map). SNN112944.

<18> PEVSNER N., 1961, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, P. 288 (Series). SNN113374.

<19> Country Life, 1956, Lyveden New Building, Northamptonshire: A property of the National Trust, P. 3 (Article). SNN115453.

<20> Historic England, Lyveden Old Bield (Archive). SNN116425.

Record last edited

Apr 25 2025 4:16PM