Building record 9781/1/1 - Salcey Lawn House

Country house. Late C17 with C18 and C20 alterations. Coursed limestone rubble, hipped slate roof, brick internal stacks.

{1} Country house. Late C17 with C18 and C20 alterations. Coursed limestone rubble, hipped slate roof, brick internal stacks. Double-depth plan. 2 storeys, basement and attic; 5-window range. Central C20 glazed door approached by 5 moulded stone steps from stone terrace in front of basement. 18-pane sash windows to ground floor, 12-pane sashes to 1st floor, all with wood lintels. 2-light casement windows to basement with wood lintels and 3 roof dormers. Ironstone quoins and bracketed wood eaves. Central door to rear at basement level. Interior has two Tudor-arched stone fireplaces with ornamental carved spandrels and strapwork, one with oak surround and overmantel with perspective panels and terms. Dog-leg staircase from ground floor to attic with square newel posts and barley sugar balusters. Panelled dado and some fielded panelling in upper roan. Basement has former kitchen with large blocked open fireplace with massive bressumer and ogee-stop-chamfered spine beam; brick tunnel-vaulted wine cellar. Large C18 additions to rear have been demolished. Formerly the seat of a younger branch of the Fitzroy family.

{3} The centre must date from the late C17th. It is of five bays and two storeys, with quoins and a hipped roof.

{4} A carpenter in 1776 was paid for 1 days work on 'jobs at the lodge'. [SMR note 01/10/2008: not sure whether this is the house, or another lodge.]
Labourers paid for 'Sawing wood at The Great Lodge'.

{5} C18th map suggests a large and important house on the lawn within Salcey Forest.

{6} Undated photo;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 2/59 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F11 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

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

<4> GOULD J., 1968, Salcey Forest in The 18th Century, p.53 (checked) (Article). SNN69444.

<5> Eyre T. (Revised by Jefferys T.), 1779, Map of the County of Northamptonshire, (checked) (Map). SNN1852.

<6> Photographs of buildings in Hartwell (Photographs). SNN112654.

Record last edited

Jun 9 2025 8:47AM