Biddick Hall

BOURNMOOR LAMBTON PARK NZ 35 SW 5/9 Inset Biddick Hall 1/2/67 (previously included in the Civil Parish of South Biddick) GV I

Small country house. Early C18 incorporating an older structure; east bay added 1859 (dated rainwater-head); north wing and additions on rear of east bay 1954-5 by E.M. Lawson and Partners. Main block influenced by and possibly based on a sketch by Sir John Vanbrugh who worked at Lumley Castle (q.v.) in 1721. Light-red hand-made brick in Flemish bond with painted stone dressings; roofs not visible; stone chimneys. Matching later additions in stretcher bond. Main block double-pile plan with massive spine wall. Baroque style.

2-storey main block; symmetrical 5-bay entrance front with added east bay. Dressed stone plinth and raised quoins. Central replaced doors and 8-pane overlight in architrave with cornice hood on enriched consoles. Centre bay framed by giant fluted Ionic pilasters carrying pediment on entablature with pulvinated frieze. 12-pane sashes in architraves. 2 fluted lead rainwater heads with downcomers. Tall, panelled flat-coped parapet above band. Stone vases on parapet and pediment. Corniced ridge stacks. Set-back added bay. Similar 5-bay west return, without pilasters and pediment, has oeil-de-boeuf windows on both storeys of centre bay. Split-level, flat-roofed 1954 rear wing.

Interior of main block: Ground-floor west wall and spine wall c.1.5 metres thick. Narrow entrance hallway has barrel-vaulted ceiling and archway into staircase hall with Doric pilasters, archivolt and keystone. 2 rooms flanking lobby: on east with c.1880 Adam-style decoration and C18 chimneypiece by Henry Cheere; on west with C18 chimneypiece with rams' heads (Lambton insignia). Small bedroom behind west room with re-used C17 panelling and a corner chimneypiece. 2-storey staircase hall: 3-flight open-well cantilevered staircase with c.1780 wrought-iron balustrade and wreathed handrail; panelled dado with ramped rail; 4- and 6-panel doors in architraves; egg-and-dart cornice on ground floor; slightly-coved ceiling with arabesques, swags etc. (possibly c.1745 by La Francini); Venetian window 1960 by Trenwith Wells. 2 first-floor bedrooms: on south-west with dentilled cornice and dado rail; on south-east with marble fireplace framed by Corinthian pilasters, a modillion cornice and Chinese wallpaper. Rear wing with re-used internal features, some from Lambton Castle (q.v.) including first-floor library with early C19 shelves and a marble chimneypiece with carved decoration of stacked books.

(Christopher Hussey, "Biddick Hall - Durham", Country Life Volume CXXXIX, 1966).

Listing NGR: NZ3145352792