Building record 9770/1/1 - Shortwood House

Stone hawking tower built c1720

{1} Hawking tower now house. c.1720. Squared coursed lias and limestone ashlar with lead and slate roofs. Square tower originally having single-unit wings to left and right. 3 storeys with 2-storey wings. Together comprising a 3-window range of C19 sashes with plain ashlar surrounds. The third storey is canted with a large ashlar surround to the window having a segmental arch and keystone. Reputed to be a fireplace surround from Pytchley Old Hall. Open balustraded parapet. Plain flat string courses between floors, sundial below first floor window. Gabled roofs to side wings with brick and stone stacks at ridge and end. Flat roof to tower. Rear windows of the tower have heavily rusticated surrounds. C20 door at rear. Interior has dogleg staircase in the tower.

{4} Undated photo.

{5} [Former list description] II Shortwood Lodge, Faxton.
C.17. Stone hawking tower. Consists of three-storeyed central tower with open balustraded flat roof, and flanking 2 storey wings with modern slate roofs. The bottom storey of the tower equals in height the two storeys of the wings; bands between storeys; one window each floor plain stone surrounds and keystones; top storey of tower with canted angles, each of those on front with windows, and to centre a "suspended" blank segmental arch on piers with archivolts, keyblock and base pieces, not however touching the storey band and apparently unrelated to the elevation. (Said to be a fireplace arch from the old seat at Pytchley.) Wings have one sash window each to first floor with stone surrounds, and three-light sash windows to ground floor;
slightly canted corners. Tower at rear has shorter four-storey square projection; rear of wings nondescript.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 7/66 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G02 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN44900.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.402 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> Photographs of buildings in Lamport (Photographs). SNN112588.

<5> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, DOE(HHR)Dist. of Brixworth R.D., Northants. Aug. 1950. 31 (Report). SNN112993.

Record last edited

Dec 11 2023 11:05AM