Little Harle Tower

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 10/08/2016

NZ 08 SW 8/69

KIRKWHELPINGTON HARLE Little Harle Tower

(Formerly listed as Littleharle Tower)

GV II* House. Medieval, early C18 and 1861-2. Medieval work rubble, early C18 work dressed stone, C19 work ashlar. Welsh slate roofs. Irregular plan. Garden front has 3-storey medieval tower on left; 2-storey, 5-bay early C18 centre and large externally Victorian tower on right.

Medieval tower has slit windows on ground floor and a blocked pointed-arched doorway on right return. 1st floor has 12-pane sash with thick glazing bars in architrave. Similar 9-pane sash on 2nd floor. Crenellated parapet.

Centre section has part-glazed Victorian door under hoodmould and 15-pane sashes with thick glazing bars in architraves; except 3 central 1st floor windows which are later 12-pane sashes. Plain parapet.

Tower on right has Georgian core (cf. interior) with rusticated quoins and bands, but was altered and extended 1861-2. Two bays. Left bay has mullioned and mullion-and-transom windows. Right bay has 2-storey canted bay window with mullions and hoodmould on ground floor. 1st floor has tall Gothic windows with cinquefoil heads, and blank, pointed-arched panel of Geometric tracery above. Roofs not visible. C18 section has tall stone conjoined corniced ridge stack. Octagonal corniced stacks elsewhere.

Entrance front is entirely mid C19. Gothic doorway behind large crenellated porte-cochere. Irregular fenestration with similar Gothic detail to Victorian tower on garden front.

Interior of medieval tower has walls 6 ft thick, vaulted ground floor and a stone newel stair which is actually in C18 section and evidence of medieval house adjoining tower.

The section of Victorian appearance has C18 open-well stair. Drawing room in same part has Rococo plaster ceiling of 1740-50; carved mid C18 fireplace with broken semicircular lintel framing bust, and side terms; also 2 elaborate Palladian pedimented doorcases.

Other rooms Victorian, especially library, and hall with screen of 3 pointed arches.

Listing NGR: NZ0137583477