Bostock Hall

Bostock Hall is a country house built around 1775, probably designed by Samuel Wyatt, with substantial additions and alterations dating from around 1850 and 1875. The building is constructed in red Flemish bond brick with ashlar dressings and a slate roof with lead flashings. It comprises three storeys over a basement.

The garden front displays three bays arranged symmetrically. The front was heavily altered around 1850, when lateral bay windows were added and the central bay received ashlar enrichments. The central bay features a slightly recessed round arch rising through all three floors and cutting into an open pediment above. The Venetian window at first floor level and the Diocletian window at second floor level appear to be original features from Wyatt's design, though they now have ashlar surrounds and stone-surrounded brick panels dating from the 1850 alterations. The ground floor of the central bay has been completely remodelled and contains two lateral pairs of French windows with arched heads. To either side of these are lower sections of the relieving arch constructed in solid ashlar with niches containing Eastern statues of the Buddha. The flanking bay windows have slightly projecting centres with curved walling to the sides. The central basement windows have cambered heads and iron grilles. The central ground and first floor windows feature round arched tympana containing terracotta panels. Stone bands run between the ground and first floors and at the level of the window sills. All first floor windows have blind parapets beneath them, and the windows in the lateral bays are four-paned. A stone parapet dating from around 1850 runs across the top with panelled piers at the angles and vase-shaped balusters.

To the left is the service wing, which was heavily remodelled around 1875. It features a similar balustrade with piers supporting models of putti and three projecting wings. The central wing has a Mansard roof whilst those to either side are gabled with stucco strapwork in relief including masks of the Sun (right) and the Wind (left). This wing connects at its far left to the base of the Water Tower.

The right-hand return now serves as the entrance front and displays five bays arranged symmetrically. The central bay window, dating from around 1850, resembles those on the garden front but is accompanied by an ashlar porch with pilasters flanking a round arch. Four-pane sash windows appear across the entire facade. A balustrade similar to that on the garden front runs behind a central pediment which is now masked by the later bay window.

The rear elevation features a late 19th-century gabled porch supported on moulded ashlar console brackets with a plaster shell-niche decorated with bull rushes and dolphins in relief.

The interior contains an entrance lobby of around 1850 decorated in Adamesque style with arched niches at the angles, a panelled plaster ceiling, and a Pompeian mosaic floor. The staircase hall has a tiled floor, a canted bay window, and an oak fire surround with terms to either side. A painted tile panel showing the surrender of Calais dates from around 1875. An open well staircase of three flights with an arcade of three arches to the first floor dates from around 1850. The drawing room features a marble fire surround with caryatids bearing baskets on their heads and holding swags of flowers, dating from around 1755, and a painted ceiling showing peacocks and arabesque ornament from around 1875. A further ground floor room has a painted ceiling with a central oval depicting a naval engagement, dating from around 1850.

The bachelors wing of 1875 contains a ballroom with a pseudo hammer-beam roof, the horizontal members of which extend to support obelisks with flame finials. The fireplace has a tiled surround and wooden overmantel inscribed "WHEN FRIENDS MEET HEARTS WARM". A gallery is positioned at the western end. The billiard room features an ingle nook fireplace with a wooden fire surround supported by terms, and strapwork plaster decorates the ingle-nook walls.