Building record 3523/3/1 - Grendon Hall

Country house, now County youth centre. Late C16 extended late C17/early C18 for General Hatton Compton probably by John Lumley of Northampton. Limestone ashlar and regular coursed limestone with slate roofs laid to diminishing courses.

{1} Country house, now County youth centre. Late C16 extended late C17/early C18 for General Hatton Compton probably by John Lumley of Northampton. Limestone ashlar and regular coursed limestone with slate roofs laid to diminishing courses. L-shape plan. 2 storeys with attic. Main front of 7-window range. Central early C20 part-glazed door with moulded stone surround has segmental pediment. 24-paned sash windows have moulded stone architraves. 2 bays to far left and right break forward with one blank window on inside return walls. Dentilled wood cornice and hipped roof with ashlar stacks at ridge. Garden front to left is similar, of 4-window range. Bay to the far left was added early C20. Entrance front to right of main front is late C16 seven-window range of irregularly spaced 3- and 6-light stone-mullioned windows, some with transoms and leaded lights. Those to far left are blocked. Early C20 extrance to right. 5 roof dormers with pediments and leaded diamond panes. Rear elevation has some early C20 extensions in Tudor style. Interior: entrance hall has early C18 fielded panelling and early C20 staircase in C18 style. Drawing room to left of entrance has C17 panelling. Dining room to centre of main front and common room (formerly 2 rooms) to left of main front all have C18 fielded panelling and fireplces with bolection moulded surrounds. Fireplace in common room is of local Raunds marble. C18 staircase with quarter landing and barley twist balustrade has fielded panelled dado. First floor rooms to main front all have C18 fielded panelling and bolection moulded fireplace surrounds. Some C17 panelling in first floor rooms to rear of entrance front. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.241; Squires Homes and Other Old Buildings of Northamptonshire, p.38: J.A. Gotch; and research by B. Bailey and A. Gomme).

{5} Undated photo;

{6} "Grendon Hall was used by the forces as a training centre and during the latter part of the war by the Free French force to train members to be dropped…. France."

{7} ...doorway with segmental pediment on brackets containing a cypher 'HC' (for General Hatton Compton)…

{10} [Former list description] 17th and early 18th century 2 storey L-shaped limestone house. Early 18th century symmetrical front south-east with recessed centre, 7 windows, 2:3:2, with one blind window on inner face of each of the projections. Windows have moulded architraves, moulded cills, sash in moulded wooden cases. Stone doorcase, pilasters, consoles, plain frieze, segmental pediment. The roof of this part is hipped late slate with a dentilled eaves cornice. The north-east front (earlier part of house) has a roof of old tiles, 5 pedimented dormers, stone mullioned windows, 3 and 6-light, stone doorcase with stone hood. Good interior all through. J A Gotch, "Squires Homes etc".

{11} A late 16th century country house with late 17th century to early 18th century extension and early 20th century additions. The building is now in use as the County Youth Centre.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 7+23/170 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> 1986, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G05 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN100394.

<3> Gotch J.A., 1939, Squires' Homes and Other Old Buildings of Northamptonshire, p.38 (unchecked) (Book). SNN39616.

<4> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.241 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<5> Photographs of buildings in Grendon (Photographs). SNN111740.

<6> Northamptonshire Women's Institute, 1992, Northamptonshire Within Living Memory, p.190 (unchecked) (Chapter). SNN39673.

<7> Bailey, B, Pevsner, N, and Cherry, B, 2013, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p. 307 (Book). SNN111989.

<8> Cadman G., 2014, 20th Century Military Archaeology in Northamptonshire: Logs 1, 2 & 3, p.12 (unchecked) (Report). SNN104868.

<9> Mowl T.; Hickman C., 2008, The Historic Gardens of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN106082.

<10> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, DOE (HHR) Dist. of Wellingborough, R.D. Northants. Aug.1972, p. 34 (Report). SNN112993.

<11> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, Amendment 2002 (Report). SNN112993.

<12> Historic England, Undated, Labelled sheet of plans of Grendon Hall, showing the ground- and first-floors, RCH01/082/01/229 (Archive). SNN116055.

Record last edited

Feb 13 2024 9:29AM