Capesthorne Hall And Garden Wall Surrounding Entrance Court

Capesthorne Hall and Garden Wall Surrounding Entrance Court

Country house built in 1719, with major alterations and reconstructions in 1837–1839 and 1862–c.1868. The original design by William Smith of Wergs comprised a central Palladian block with attached wings. Edward Blore encased these on the entrance front. Following a fire in 1861 that destroyed the central portion but left the wings untouched, Anthony Salvin rebuilt the centre while retaining some of Blore's features.

The building is constructed of red Flemish bond brick with ashlar dressings and a slate roof. The three-storey central block sits above cellars, with two-storey blocks to either side.

The entrance front presents seven central bays. A basement area supports a raised ashlar colonnade on segmental arches, a surviving element from Blore's building. The colonnade features Tuscan columns with raised circular panels to the spandrels and square diamond rustication to the keystones. The central portion rebuilt by Salvin contains a three-light window with two mullions and two transoms, flanked by two windows of two lights each with mullion and two transoms on the ground floor. The first floor follows a similar arrangement. Above a cornice sits a central four-light mullioned window with two similar three-light windows to each side, all set in shaped gables with stone copings and finials and heraldic panels to the apexes, the central feature being larger and projecting. A central platform to the roof carries a stone parapet.

To either side of this central feature are slightly projecting three-storey wings of one central bay, each with lateral four-storey square turrets—the left-hand one by Blore, which survived the 1861 fire. Canted two-storey central bay windows feature pierced stone parapets above them. The second-floor windows are three lights with mullions in shaped gables topped with pierced ogee finials and stone copings. The lateral turrets have string courses between floors, single lights, and ogee caps with finials. All windows throughout the house have ashlar surrounds. Projecting service wings flank the design.

The courtyard facades are similar in character. Two-storey semi-circular arches with stone surrounds connect them to the house; the left is blocked while the right forms a porte cochere. Each inner face displays seven symmetrically disposed bays with double half-glazed doors in a slightly projecting central bay topped by a fanlight. Consoles to either side support oriel windows of two lights on the first floor. A shaped gable above contains single-light windows and stone coping. To either side are three ground-floor sash windows of 3 by 5 panes with cavetto-moulded lintels. First-floor windows are 3 by 3 sash panes with alternating pedimental and segmental heads and shaped aprons. To the right of the right-hand block, some of these surrounds have been replaced with cement wedge lintels without aprons.

The outer facing fronts of these two blocks are essentially similar to their inner faces, except the end bays project slightly and have three-light windows to the ground floor and two-light windows to the first floor with shaped gables above. Beyond these are two service court arches projecting from and connected to the house by blind walling. Central semi-circular arches of two storeys' height rise above, topped with pierced stone parapets and heraldic panels to centre. Projecting wings to either side contain two-light windows to both ground and first floors. The ground slopes to the left, permitting a third basement storey with fenestration matching the ground floor. To the left of the left-hand wing stands a row of gardener's cottages of 18th or early 19th-century date.

Interior spaces include the Entrance Hall (by Blore) with a panelled ceiling featuring pendants and a bay window with stained glass arranged by Willement. The fireplace, dating from c.1887, incorporates male and female terms formerly on the reading desk in the Chapel of the Holy Trinity. The Sculpture Gallery (by Blore) features arched flat-backed niches along a corridor with a panelled ceiling. The Saloon (by Salvin) possesses a panelled ceiling and a large fireplace with a carved overmantel in early Renaissance style. The Drawing Room (by Salvin) has a panelled ceiling with pendants and a rich floral frieze. The State Dining Room (by Salvin) displays a panelled ceiling with pendants, wooden panelling to dado height, and a large white and variegated marble fireplace of early Renaissance form.

The Staircase Hall (by Salvin) is divided from the Sculpture Gallery by three semi-circular archways. The stairs feature a wrought iron balustrade with anthemions. A similar arcade flanks the first-floor landings with blind arches to one wall and three arched windows to the external wall. The ceiling is panelled with sgraffito moulding. The Library (by Salvin) has imitation Jacobean panelling with a Jacobean fireplace brought from Marton Hall, and a panelled ceiling with diamond motifs. The Study (by Salvin) contains a panelled ceiling with a circular central motif. The Private Dining Room (by Salvin) has a 19th-century marble fireplace in 18th-century form. A ground-floor bedroom (by Salvin) features a ceiling with octagonal coffers and a Victorian-baroque fireplace.

Joined to the inner corners of the service arch projections and extending forward and across before the main facade is a low brick wall, approximately three feet high, built of red English garden wall bond brick with a chamfered and rusticated stone coping. Square stone piers to the right and left of centre feature arched niches to all sides and recessed square piers above with domed caps and felons' heads as finials. Pierced stone walling to either side leads to central square stone gate piers topped with pierced ogee finials.

The Capesthorne estate has descended from the time of the Norman Conquest through marriage—from the de Capesthornes to the Wards and thence to the Davenports.