Wycliffe Hall

NZ 11 SW WYCLIFFE WITH THORPE WYCLIFFE

7/208 Wycliffe Hall

19.1.52

GV II*

Country house. Medieval core remodelled early-mid C18 for Marmaduke Tunstall II. North-west wing probably c.1780, as museum for Marmaduke Tunstall III. Interior restored after 1952 fire, with fittings from Halnaby Hall. South front ashlar, west front tooled stone with ashlar dressings, other walls rubble with cut dressings; graduated Lakeland slate roofs except for Welsh slates on rear part of east wing. Plan; almost square centre block with flanking wings extending to north to enclose rear courtyard.

South front: 3-storey 3-bay centre and 2-storey end bays. Plinth, rusticated quoins, 1st floor band, ground and 1st floor sill bands. Half-glazed door with 9-pane overlight in Tuscan surround, flanked by 12-pane sashes with triple keystones. Similar sashes to 1st floor, the central in architrave with swept feet, pediment on consoles and balustraded apron panel; flanking windows have cornices. 6-pane sashes on 2nd floor. All windows in architraves. Modillion eaves cornice and parapet with moulded coping. Hipped roof with tall corniced lateral stacks. Projecting end bays have ground-floor sashes with triple keystones, and lst-floor sashes with console-bracketed cornices and balustraded apron panels; hipped roofs with stepped-and-corniced ridge stacks.

West elevation 1 + 2 storeys, 5 + 4 bays. Right part has similar detail to south front; in 2nd bay renewed panelled door in architrave with pulvinated frieze and modillion cornice. Left part, set slightly forward, is the late C18 wing: Plinth, sill and impost bands to arcade of round-arched recesses holding 18-pane sashes with radial heads. Moulded eaves cornice; coped left gable with stepped-and-corniced end stack.

East elevation shows medieval masonry in taller-left part. Scattered fenestration includes several small chamfered windows, some blocked; 2 large buttresses.

Rear elevations: Stair projection with Venetian window; blocked mullioned windows in centre block and east wing.

Interior: Entrance hall has C13 cross slab set into wall; adjacent Saxon inscribed stone, mentioned in previous list, now removed. Study has mid-C18 ceiling. Dining room largely 1931, but medieval service doorways concealed in east wall. Drawing room has carved doors and woodwork, marble fireplace and decorated ceiling, all from Halnaby. East wing bedrooms with C18 fielded panelling. Barrel-vaulted cellars beneath west wing.

Listing NGR: NZ1195014231