Building record 3471/0/4 - Probable C18th Moat Adjoining The Menagerie

{1} Illustration of The Menagerie; Colvin notes that Garret was still at Horton in 1750.

{2} Design for new façade and a menagerie for the 1st Earl of Halifax. 1. Elevation of south front; 2. Elevation of menagerie. Designs by Daniel Garnett who succeeded Lord Burlington as clerk of works and draughtsman.

{3} The present garden at The Menagerie is recent. The site is where Lord Halifax kept animals in the C18th and was surrounded by a moat. It was described by Horace Walpole as "… a little wood prettily disposed with many basons of gold fish….". It was presumably laid out in the 1750s by Thomas Wright of Durham who was the architect of the building and also a garden designer. Four of the ponds are incorporated into the present design.

{5} The Menagerie was built to designs of Wright in the late 1750s; it stands to the east of the line of the southern avenue and on the southern boundary of the park. Its main façade faces the former hall. To the south is a two-acre moated enclosure presumably formerly associated with animals. In 1763 Walpole makes mention of the feature describing it as "… a little wood prettily disposed with many basons of gold fish…". Four circular ponds survive and have been incorporated into the late C20th garden design. A disused railway cuts through the southern tip of the menagerie enclosure.

{6} The menagerie itself was housed behind the building, which was designed both as banqueting house and eyecatcher for Horton House (demolished), in a circular enclosure just over 2 acres in extent and described by Horace Walpole in 1763 as "a little wood, prettily disposed with many basons of gold fish". Four of those circular ponds survive and a garden in the manner of Thomas Wright laid out on the site. The Menagerie has been attributed in the past to Daniel Garrett, but can confidently be ascribed to Wright who received payments from Lord Halifax in 1754, 1756 and 1757.

{8} The Menagerie lies to the south-east of the old house. It is a single storey building with corner pavilions. The style is reminiscent of Kent and has been attributed to Daniel Garret who worked at Horton for Lord Halifax in the 1730s. However it has more recently been attributed to Thomas Wright who was working here after 1739. The interior contains fine plaster ceilings with Father Time, The Four Winds and signs of the Zodiac.

<1> COLVIN, Untitled Source, p.150-6 (unchecked) (Illustration). SNN42672.

<2> 1973, RIBA Catalogue, p.13 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN42677.

<3> JACKSON-STOPS G., 1983, The Menagerie, Horton, (unchecked) (Guide). SNN43501.

<4> CORNFORTH J., 1967, Horton House, (unchecked) (Series). SNN57859.

<5> English Heritage, 1994, Register of Parks & Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England (1994, Northamptonshire), (checked) (Report). SNN1324.

<6> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 8/113 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<7> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F12 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

<8> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.264 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<9> Rowan A., 1968, Garden Buildings, Plate 18 (unchecked) (Drawing). SNN106530.

<10> Lambton L., 1985, Beastly Buildings: The National Trust Book of Architecture for Animals, p.152 (unchecked) (Book). SNN106531.

<11> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, NCCAP: SP8253/006-8+009-10 (unchecked) (Photographs). SNN104822.

Record last edited

Jun 17 2014 10:46AM