Shawdon Hall

Shawdon Hall is a country house, dated 1779 as shown on the rainwater heads, likely designed by William Newton for William Hargrave. A rear wing was truncated in 1970. The main block is constructed of tooled ashlar with a Lakeland slate roof, while the rear wing is of squared stone with a Welsh slate roof.

The south front has two storeys and is arranged with 2 + 3 + 2 bays. It features a plinth, sill band, and first-floor band, as well as a dentil eaves cornice. The three-bay centrepiece has giant pilasters with palmette capitals, a fluted frieze with paterae, and a pediment enclosing an 1817 wood carving depicting the Pawson arms and mantling. A flight of six steps leads to the central Venetian doorway, which has a half-glazed door, a plain fanlight, a fluted frieze, archivolt, and is set within a round arch. Plate-glass sash windows are present throughout. The roof is hipped with two stepped-and-corniced ridge stacks.

The five-bay left return displays similar detailing, including a central open pediment with a floating cornice over the first-floor window. The plainer four-bay right return shows similar fenestration in the right bays, with blind windows on the left side. A five-bay right rear wing extends from the main block, featuring a central six-panel door and latticed overlight in a plain porch, and four-pane sash windows. The rear elevation includes a twenty-pane sash stair window with a radial head. The rear (west) elevation of the wing has a projecting three-bay section with a pediment.

The interior’s entrance hall is characterized by mahogany doors with carved fielded panels, a fluted dentil frieze, and overdoors. The dining room boasts a carved black-and-white marble fireplace originally from Close House, Wylam, along with a dado rail, long enriched panels, a fluted frieze with paterae, and matching overdoors. The sitting room includes a white marble fireplace with coloured inlaid medallions and a palmette frieze. Both the lower and upper stair halls have arches with fluted archivolts on imposts with paterae, a band of fluting at landing level, panelling, and an anthemion top cornice. The open-well stair features stick balusters, a moulded wreathed and ramped handrail, and a curtail step. Bedrooms have dado rails and moulded cornices. A doorway to the servants' stair includes a fluted archivolt and radial overlight. A lavatory dating to approximately 1880 retains a panelled cistern with glazed floral tiles.