SNN104861 - An Historic Building Record of The Panelling in The Principal Rooms of Rushton Hall, Northamptonshire

The Historic Building Record concentrates specifically on the oak panelling situated in the corridors and a series of rooms on the south and west sides of Rushton hall, (see fig.3). The core fabric of this area of the house contains some of the earliest evidence of building at the Hall and is believed to date to shortly after the Tresham family acquired the property in 1438. Among the most notable builders of the Tresham's was John Tresham, (d.1521) and the notable building enthusiast and recusant, Sir Thomas Thresham, (c.1543-1605). IN 1620 ownership of Rushton Hall passed to the prominent London merchant, William Cockayne, (c.1561-1626), his son Charles (1602 – 1661) who Charles I created Viscount Cullen in 1642, made Rushton the family seat and was responsible for re-modelling and re-roofing the great hall during the period 1625-1631. In 1810 Rushton was sold to the Amsterdam banker William Hope, (1802-1855). Hope made a number of substantial changes to the house, most of which were removed during the course of a further re-furbishing og the Hall while it was in the ownership of the Thornhill family. This final phase of work occurred in the early 1900s and was designed, supervised and directed by the Kettering based architect, J.A.Gotch. The work Gotch is recorded as having undertaken included the installation of oak panelling in several rooms and some upper chambers in the west and south ranges of the house.