Lemmington Hall Sacred Heart Convent

EDLINGHAM LEMMINGTON HALL NU 11 SW 9/122 Lemmington Hall 31.12.69 (Sacred Heart Convent) GV II*

Country house, c.1750 for Nicholas Fenwick, incorporating C15 towerhouse of Beadnell family; late C18 alterations by William Newton; roofless ruin in late C19, restored 1913 for Sir Stephen Aitchison; converted to convent 1947. House tooled ashlar, tower squared stone; graduated Lakeland slate roof. Plan: ranges around small court, open to north-east; L-plan tower incorporated into north-east end of south-east range.

South-east elevation 2 storeys, 9 bays. Centre bay projects and 2 end bays on either side are set back. High plinth to ground floor sill band. 5 semicircular steps to panelled double door with sidelights; stone cornice and radial fanlight above in triple-keyed archivolt within broken pediment. Group of 3 windows above, the outer ones narrower. Ground-floor windows 12-pane sashes, upper windows 6-pane sashes, all in architraves, those on ground floor with swell friezes and cornices, and with pediments except in set-back outer sections. Moulded and modillioned eaves cornice and central pediment. Parapet behind, carried over pediment, and with urn finials at angles. 2 corniced stacks, irregularly placed.

On left return projecting 3-bay pedimented wing of 1913 in similar style. Right return shows large stepped buttress of 1913 with exposed masonry of C15 tower house to right; C20 fenestration (utilising imported medieval material) and embattled parapet. Imposing early C20 round-arched entrance and Venetian window on rear wing set back to right. Right return of tower shows early C20 traceried lst-floor windows.

Interior: Internal features of house c.1913 re-using stair balustrades, doors and architraves, window seats etc. from London, mainly from Camelford House, Park Lane. Other woodwork, including panelling in chapel, from Chateau at Bar-le-duc, France. Tower retains barrel-vaulted basement and newel stair in south turret; 1st floor chamber, now chapel, has re-set roll-moulded C16 fireplace behind reredos and mural chamber with oubliette.

C20 glazed front porch, single-storey extension to south-west, and later north-west extension linking to outbuildings are not of interest.

Listing NGR: NU1210311278