Building record 980/2/1 - Holdenby House

Country house constructed between 1571-1578. Charles I was interned here in 1647. The estate passed to Capt. Adam Baynes in 1651; a condition of sale being the demolition of the Palace and all but the kitchen wing demolished in the 1650s. Rebuilt in 1873-75 incorporating the remains of the earlier structure, to designs by R H Carpenter and 1887-88. Built of sandstone.

{1} Country house. c.1583 for Sir Christopher Hatton rebuilt 1873-5 by R.H. Carpenter and W. Slater and extended 1887-8 by W.E. Mills. Squared coursed lias with ashlar dressings and slate roof. U-shaped plan. South front is 2 storeys with attic. 8-window range of 2- and 4-light stone mullions with transoms. Windows 3, 4 and 5 a fragment of Holdenby Palace of 1583; 2 window ranges to left, set back are c.1887-8, remainder mainly 1873-5. Projecting porch has double pilasters flanking arched entrance and detached twin columns at first floor flanking a 3-light stone mullion window, reputedly from Holdenby Palace and re-erected from elsewhere. Ashlar gable parapets and dormers with pediments. Tall circular ashlar stacks with linked caps some probably c.1583. Right gable has C16 blocked opening with 4-centred head. North front with projecting wings is mainly C19 with central porch similar to that on the south front. Carriage arch datestone 1659 and walls one attached. Interior: centre of north front has C19 panelling and marble fireplace, probably c.1583 structure; billiard room and boudoir to left of entrance have C19 moulded cornices; marble fireplace in the boudoir is decorated with musical instruments. Ball-room in south front has large marble fireplace with swags of grapes, this room incorporates part of original structure. Garden hall, south front has C19 stair with turned balustrade. Library c.1583 has original panelling re-set; dining room to left has late C19 moulded cornice and fireplace. Holdenby Palace was demolished in 1651 by Captain Adam Baynes with the exception of part of the offices which were incorporated into the present house in 1873. Two gate arches also remain to the east. Surrounding Site scheduled as ancient monument.

{4} House built by C. Hatton, who was Lord Chancellor in 1587. Work was begun after 1570 and completed by 1583.

{7} Undated photo;

{8} The main interest in the parish lies in the earthworks which reflect the great changes wrought in the landscape of Holdenby in the late C16th. Up to that time the village appears to have been made up of two separate nuclei and was surrounded by its common fields. Between 1575 and 1587 Sir Christopher Hatton, who later became Lord Chancellor, built the famous Holdenby House and constructed the remarkable gardens around it, adding a large deer park after he had enclosed the common fields.He appears to have demolished both parts of the medieval settlement and to have built a new village on one of the original sites, to a plan that was an integral part of the design of the house and garden.

{10} Norden quoted "the state of the house was such and so beautiful that it might well delight a prince".

{12} "Remains of Holdenby Palace"; view from south-east shows surviving Renaissance gates with house in background.

{4, 19} In 1575 Sir Christopher Hatton, the Lord Chancellor, commissioned John Thorpe to design Holdenby Palace and the vast building (350' x 225') with extensive grounds, was completed by 1583. The style was of two-storeyed, open arcading, with coupled Doric columns and large bay windows. It was tenanted by James I in the early 17th C and Charles I was interned there in 1647.

The estate passed to Capt. Adam Baynes in 1651; a condition of sale being the demolition of the Palace. Only a fraction of the building was retained, as living quarters, and three substantial houses were built in Northampton from the resultant material.

In 1660 the estate was restored to the Crown, but for two centuries there was no resident squire, though considerable ruins remained.

In 1873-5 and 1887-8 a new house (one eighth the size of the original) was built incorporating part of that left standing by Baynes including 4 large mullioned windows in the South front, and much interior material.

The most important architectural remains are two archways bearing the date 1583, and a third, to the North of the house, dated 1659 and probably built by Baynes to give access to his living quarters.

{20} The present House appears predominantly 19thC, the original windows being barely distinguishable from the later ones.

The Palace ruins have been completely cleared except for the now free-standing gateways and possibly some foundations now integrated into garden walling.

G.Ps AO/62/35/2:1659 Gateway from N.E.
AO/62/35/3:1583 Gateways from North.

{21} [Former list description] Holdenby House. The vast mansion was built by Sir Christopher Hatton between 1575 and 1585. On his death it passed to the Crown. Charles I was held prisoner here before being taken to London. In later C.17 the place fell into ruin, but in 1875 and 1888 a small portion was restored and much new work added. What is now the main front was originally the central section of the great South front. This 2-storey block built of sandstone, has 7 pedimented limestone dormers in the slate roof, above which rise great limestone chimney stacks. There is a fine 2-storey limestone porch and great mullioned and transomed windows also worked in limestone. Some early work survives in the interior. Of special interest is the finely worked limestone gateway to the forecourt of this front. It bears the date 1659, the last year of the Commonwealth. Country Life ref. XXXII, 528.

{22} (SP 693676). In 1647 the house was equipped by the Parliamentary Government as a place of detention for Charles I. He was detained there for a few months during the summer of that year.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 7/216 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G01 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN44900.

<3> Jenkins S., 2003, England's Thousand Best Houses, p.543 (unchecked) (Extract). SNN104722.

<4> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.261 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<5> Heward J.; Taylor R., 1996, The Country Houses of Northamptonshire, p.235 (unchecked) (Book). SNN41757.

<6> Havering, The King's Houses 1485-1660, (checked) (Extract). SNN109054.

<7> Photographs of buildings in Holdenby (Photographs). SNN112658.

<8> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.103 (checked) (Series). SNN77381.

<9> Thomas Treswell, 1587, The Survey of The Manor of Holdenby made in 1587 (Finch-Hatton), (unchecked) (Map). SNN18147.

<10> CAMDEN, 1806, Britannia, p.277 (unchecked) (Book). SNN47888.

<11> Hartshorne, A, 1908, Holdenby, Northamptonshire; Its Manors, Church and House (Article). SNN112825.

<12> CLARKE G., 1850, Pencil Sketches, (checked) (Drawing). SNN45693.

<13> Bailey B.A., 1996, Northamptonshire in the Early Eighteenth Century: The Drawings of Peter Tillemans & Others, p.97 (checked) (Series). SNN41766.

<14> Tillemans P., 1719?, Holdenby Ruins Now Down, (checked) (Drawing). SNN109055.

<15> Mowl T.; Hickman C., 2008, The Historic Gardens of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN106082.

<16> Prentice J., 2006, A Desk-Based Assessment at Holdenby House, Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN105799.

<17> STEANE J.M., 1977, The Development of Tudor and Stuart Garden Design in Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Article). SNN69732.

<18> Hartshorne E.S., 1868, Memorials of Holdenby, (unchecked) (Book). SNN60023.

<19> Unknown, Undated, Northampton Topography (Note). SNN114128.

<20> Harper, FR, 1962, Field Investigators Comments, F1 FRH 23-AUG-62 (Note). SNN112963.

<21> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, District of Brixworth. August 1950, p. 27 (Report). SNN112993.

<22> Brown R.A.; Colvin H.M.; Taylor, 1982, The History of The Kings' Works (Vol.IV), 28, 46, 153-4 (Series). SNN60132.

<23> 1979, Country Life (1979), 1286-1289 (Journal). SNN18174.

<24> Historic England, Undated, HOLDENBY HOUSE, HOLDENBY, BF061875 (Archive). SNN114129.

<25> Historic England, Undated, Oversized drawing: Labelled plan of Holdenby House, RCH01/082/01/114 (Archive). SNN114130.

<26> Historic England, Undated, Amended copy of a labelled plan of Holdenby House, RCH01/082/01/115 (Archive). SNN114131.

Record last edited

Oct 24 2024 11:44AM