Building record 112/1/3 - Lyveden New Bield

Large summer house, now roofless ruined shell. Probably c.1604-5, by Robert Stickells for Sir Thomas Tresham. Comprising an equal-armed cross on plan, built of ashlar with white limestone dressings.

{1} Large summer house, now roofless ruined shell. Probably c.1604-5, by Robert Stickells for Sir Thomas Tresham. Ashlar with white limestone dressings. Regular cruciform plan. Originally 2 storeys with undercroft. 2-storey polygonal stone mullion bay windows, with transoms, to ends of each projecting wing. Return walls of each wing have 4-light stone mullion windows with king mullions. Plinth has 3 square-head windows with shields between, to each face of return walls with similar arrangement to plinth of polygonal bays. Diamond panels flanking first floor windows and below ground floor windows. Polygonal end bay of north wing was main entrance porch. Central arch-head opening set in square surround with pyramid keystone and moulded cornice. Underside of arch has strapwork decoration. Section of coursed rubble wall below archway was originally flight of steps. Present entrance into undercroft is a square-head doorway in polygonal bay of south wing. Metope frieze with moulded cornice between ground and first floor and remains of similar Doric entablature to north-east and west wings. The frieze is decorated with Catholic symbols, Instruments of the Passion and Judas's money bag. The upper frieze has the following inscription "Jesus mundi Salus - Gaude Mater Virgo Maria - Verbum autem Crucis pereuntibus quidem Stultita est. - Jesus, Beatus Ventse qui te poravita- Maria Virgo Sponsa innupta - T. eam. Alt. - Benedixit te Deus in alternum Maria - Mihi antem absit gloriari nisi in Cruce Domini Nostri XP". Interior: there are no floor or roof structures. North wing was originally entrance hall at ground floor. Arch-head opening into porch with similar openings in opposite cross wall. Niche is in north-west corner. Remains of fireplace to first floor room. East wing was originally the buttery in the undercroft, parlour at ground floor and probably the chapel or bedroom at first floor. Arch-head opening to bay window has 2 coats of arms to underside of keyblock. Remains of flue in side wall. West win was originally the kitchen in the undercroft, hall at ground floor with Great Chamber at first floor. Kitchen has west wall across bay window with large arch-head fireplace. Similar fireplace with 4-centred arch head to Hall and square-head fireplace, flanked by niches, to Great Chamber. Square-head doorways give access to bay window. Undercroft level of bay window has remains of ovens and copper. North wing was staircase hall. Triple arcade in cross wall, at ground floor level has semi-circul r arches with plain pilasters between. Moulded cornice and plain square panels between spandrels of arches. Similar arches at first floor level have large rectangular panel between flanked by pilasters with clover leaf decoration. Two 4-centre arch head openings, with window between in cross wall at undercroft level. Joist holes, scaffolding holes and slots for internal rainwater pipes are all visible. The staircase is said to have been removed in C17 by Colonel Butler to Cobthorne, Oundle. This building, which symbolises Christ's passion was incomplete at the death of Sir Thomas Tresham who was also responsible for the Triangular Lodge, Rushton, which symbolises the Trinity. Scheduled as an ancient monument. Property of National Trust. (Gardens at Lyveden New Bield are listed in HBMCE Register of Parks and Gardens at Grade II*;)

{3} Lordship consisting of a manor house was begun to be built probably during reign of Queen Elizabeth but is now in ruins. The new building is of free stone in the form of a cross.

{8} Description, photograph and plan of the building.

{9} 'Liveden Building' map 6331.

{10} Ruined building, a hunting lodge named 'Lyveden New Building'. Scheduled Ancient Monument.

{12} The New Bield (listed grade I), called by Sir Thomas Tresham a ‘garden lodge’ (see below) but in modern terminology better named as a banqueting house, was a proud and visible statement of the family’s adherence to the Old Faith, its theme the Passion and Faith of Our Lord. Of stone, and with a Greek cross plan overall c 21m square, it is of two storeys above a service basement. The quality of the masonry is high, and the whole building is extremely decorative: deep bay windows project from each wing, two-tone stonework emphasises detail, while inscriptions and symbols proclaim the building’s religious symbolism. The building, begun in 1596, was designed (probably to a concept supplied by Tresham) by Robert Stickells (d 1620), Clerk of the Works at Richmond Palace, and was constructed by a local family of masons called the Grumbalds. Left unfinished on Tresham’s death, it was despoiled c 1655 by Major Butler of Oundle, a Cromwellian officer, who removed the timber floors and other structural elements.

{17} Formed from five equal squares with a bay of five sides at each end. The measurements add up to 25, the date of bith the Nativity and the Annunciation (Lady Day).

{18} Three undated photos;

{2} Lyveden New Building* is one of three interesting buildings erected in Northamptonshire at the instigation of Sir Thomas Tresham whose principal home was at Rushton. The other buildings are Rothwell Market House and the Triangular Lodge at Rushton. The Treshams had several houses besides that at Rushton and among them was a manor-house on the site now occupied by Lyveden Old Building. The existing Old Building is in fact a few years younger than the New Building, but one or two remnants of its predecessor are built into it. The date of the New Building is about 1600.

*There exist in John Thorpe's MS. Book in the Soane Museum on London, three draft plans, evidently of the New Building, although they are without title or other identification. Mr Gotch in his book The Buildings of Sir Thomas Tresham (published in 1883), considered these plans prima facie evidence that Thorpe had designed the New Building. He assumed that the leading ideas, the emblems and enigmas only were supplied by Tresham. It is true that Thrope is known to have laid the foundations of Kirby Hall in 1570, and is supposed to have been associated with Holdenby Hall and Burghley, all in Northamptonshire. But there exists no evidence that Thorpe was the actual builder of all those many houses throughout the country which he surveyed, and of which he has left plans and drawings. In the case of Lyveden, therefore, it is perhaps safer not to be too dogmatic as to its precise authorship. [J.L-M.

Sir Thomas Tresham. Sir Thomas Tresham came of an old family which had long lived in Northamptonshire and had figured largely in local affairs. At the Reformation they adhered to the faith of their forefathers and Sir Thomas's grandfather was the last Prior of the re-erected Order of St. John of Jerusalem, which in our time has been resuscitated in order to overlook ambulance work. Sir Thomas's father, who died before inheriting the property appears to have become a Protestant, for his son was brought up as such. The son, however, reverted to the ancient faith in the year 1580 and this course had a profound effect on the rest of his life. During Elizabeth's reign Roman Catholics were subjected to continuous prosecutions, and severe restraints were imposed upon them. Sir Thomas himself passed much of his time in prison, and when he was liberated at intervals he was not allowed to go farther than five miles from home without a licence signed by the Bishop of the diocese and two Justices. That was one effect of his reverting to the old religion, and it naturally hampered his building activities. The Triangular Lodge was the only one of his three buildings which was completed, the other two became ruins before they were finished. But they were built so well (by local masons) that they have survived with remarkably little deterioration. Rothwell Market House is now efficiently preserved through having been adapted as a Public Library. Another effect of Sir Thomas's reverting was to turn his mind, always prone to quaint and curious fancies, to obscure and mystic ideas which he had plenty of time to elaborate during his long imprisonments. He caused his rooms at Ely, where he was kept in restraint, to be decorated with religious allegories, he worked out all sorts of numerical combinations to result in dates that had a personal interest, or to stand for one of the sacred names. The favourite numerals with which he played were 3, 5, 7 and 9. The Triangular Lodge, for instance, is devised on the basis of 3 and it sets forth the doctrine of the Trinity. Some of the dates or series of figures that appear upon it still puzzle curious antiquaries who have propounded many ingenious solutions.

Graphical material omitted

The Exterior. Lyveden New Building is symbolical of the Passion. It is planned in the shape of an equal-armed cross with a bay window at the end of each arm. The body of each arm is an exact square; consequently the space enclosed by the four arms where their corners touch is also a square of the same size. This arrangement produces five equal square. The bay windows are so planned that they start five feet away from the corners of the main building and they all have five faces of five feet in length, a disposition which results in seven lengths of five feet. Turning from the plan to the upright or elevation of the building, it will be seen that the straight sides of the arms have each just above the ground three windows with three shields between them. Just above the windows of the next floor is an entablature, as it is called, which runs round the whole building; in the vertical flat space (or frieze) are carved emblems of the Passion. There are seven different panels of these placed in rotation. They will presently be described in detail. Then above the windows of the topmost floor runs another entablature on which the roof must have rested. In the frieze is incised a series of legends, short sentences taken partly from the Vulgate, all having reference to the Passion. There is one letter to every foot in length, and as each straight side is twenty-three foot long and each end consists of
seven lengths of five feet (making thirty-five) the total length of lettering to each arm is eighty-one feet, or nine times nine.

A large proportion of the legends has disappeared, but part of what has gone is recorded in Bridges' History of Northamptonshire, and using this information the following result is obtained, the missing letters supplied by Bridges being placed in brackets. Starting on the north wing over the principal entrance door, the legends run:

JESUS MUNDI SALVIS-GAUDE MATER VIRGO MARIA-VERBUM AUTEM CRUCIS PEREUNTIBUS QUIDE[M STULTITIA EST-JESUS BEATUS] VENTER QUI TE PORTAVIT-[MARIA VIRGO SPONSA INNUPTA]-T EAM ALT-[BENEDIXI]T TE DEUS IN AE[TERNUM MARIA-MIHI AUTEM A]BSIT GLORIARI NISI IN CRUCE DOMINI NOSTRI XP.

It will be seen the Jesus and Maria were respectively the first and last words on the end face of each wing. The seven emblems on the lower frieze are as follows, beginning at the left-hand corner of each of the wings:

1. Within a band bearing the words MIHI ESTO are the pillar, the ladder, a cross with a crown of thorns, the sponge and spear with a heart between them, a cord shaped like an S, and three nails. The whole makes the monogram IH.S.

2. The monogram X P surrounded by a wreath of olive leaves with three bosses bearing the letters E.T.N.

3. Judas's money bag surround by thiry pieces of silver.

4. A twisted cord surrounding swords, halberds, torches and a lantern. To the right-hand sword is adhering Malchus's ear.

5. Within a twisted linen wreath are the scourge, the pillar and crown of thorns, the sceptre of reeds. On the pillar stands a cock, and round it is twisted a cord.

6. A wreath of thorns surrounds the ladder, a cross with a crown of thorns, the sponge, spear hammer and pincers.

7. The seamless garment between three dice; the surrounding band is composed of staves separated by three helmets and three pairs of gauntlets.

The Interior. Having examined the exterior it remains to explain the arrangement of the interior. The present entrance is the original back door, which opened into the basement and was approached by an underground passage in order that above ground the building might stand free and unencumbered. The wing into which the doorway leads contained the staircase which with its landings occupied the whole space. The holes in the walls show where the main timbers rested. The staircase led to an upstairs landing on to which opened the three ornamented doors of the first floor. It then mounted to the top floor, where there are two doorways with a long panel between them flanked by pilasters ornamented with the trefoil of the Treshams. But keeping still to the basement, the left-hand door leads to the kitchen with its high fireplace and two flues; behind it in the bay window is the 'pastry' (as it was called) with two ovens and, in the left-hand corner, what may have been a copper. The other rooms in the basement were intended for the buttery and other servants' quarters.

The floor above the basement* was entered from the front door which is at the end of the north wing and being five or six feet above the ground, was approached by a flight of steps, now gone. The door led into a large vestibule or hall in one corner of which may be seen a kind of canopied niche or bracket probably intended to hold a figure. The room over the kitchen was the Great Hall, that in the east wing was the parlour, and it is the only room of which the bay window forms an integral part. The arch of the bay bears two shields, those of Sir Thomas Tresham (with the trefoils) and his wife Muriel Throckmorton; the south wing contained the staircase. *See plan. On the top floor over the kitchen and great hall was the Great Chamber, the other two rooms (in the north and west wings) were bedrooms.

The building was intended as a 'Lodge' or small house, and judging by the arms of Tresham and his wife in the arch of the bay window of the parlour it was built for the use of the family. There is no reason to suppose it was meant to be a resting place of priests. It appears to have been an adjunct of the Manor House (the Old Building) and to have formed part of its fine lay-out. Considerable remains of this lay-out still exist.

The 'Water Orchard'. In the field near the Old Building between it and the New, are sloping banks formally disposed, and adjacent to the New Building was a small square field surrounded by a canal or moat and known in Tresham's time as the 'water orchard'. On three sides of this field the canal still exists, on the fourth its traces can be seen. On the north side, and outside the moat was, and is, a raised terrace with a prospect mount at each end. There is also a mount at the S.W. and S.E. corners of the encircling canal surrounded by water and now obscured by the trees of the spinney. The length of canal on the north side is still full of water, the other lengths have become rather silted up, but they are generally wet enough to prevent easy crossing. It appears from letters that passed between Tresham and his keeper that round the New Building itself a careful lay-out was intended, but of this no traces remain.

Sir Thomas Tresham died in 1605 before the building was finished. Some months afterwards his eldest son, Francis, became implicated in the Gunpower Plot; he was arested and died in prison and his estates were forfeited. Rushton was brought by the Cockaynes; Lyveden either escaped or was recovered, and it became the home of Sir Thomas's second son, Lewis, who married a Spanish lady. But the work which Sir Thomas left unfinished was never completed. Lyveden passed from the Treshams, ultimately becoming the property of Lord Lyveden of Farming Woods.

Graphical material omitted.

During the Commonwealth its floor timbers were taken away to Oundle to help towards a new house there; fragmentsof the ends may still be seen embedded in the walls. One of the outer walls bears scars said to be the results of shots fired during the Civil Wars; but the building survived all such mishaps and remained a neglected ruin until after the break-up of the Farming Woods estate. It was purchased in 1922 by The National Trust by means of a public subscription, with twenty-eight acres of farmland and copse. Its wallswere then protected against the weather, but no attempt at restorationwas made. In 1945 fairly extensive repairs were carried out to the windows.

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<25> Alan S PHILLIPS, 1976, Field Investigator's Comments, 12-JUL-76 (Notes). SNN116397.

<26> English Heritage, 1984, Register of Parks & Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England (1984, Northamptonshire), Part 30 (Report). SNN46781.

<27> LYVEDEN NEW BUILDING, ALDWINCLE, BF061883 (Archive). SNN116297.

Record last edited

Oct 24 2024 11:50AM