Sledmere House

Sledmere House is a country house dating from circa 1780-90, built around an inner core from circa 1751, with later additions and significant alterations. The house was designed by Samuel Wyatt and Sir Christopher Sykes, 2nd Baronet, for Sir Mark Sykes, 1st Baronet. Following a fire, extensive restorations were undertaken circa 1911 by Walter Brierley for Sir Mark Sykes, 6th Baronet, with reconstruction work carried out by H H Martin of Cheltenham.

The building is constructed of Nottinghamshire ashlar with a Welsh slate roof and features Coade stone plaques. The plan is H-shaped with a central hallway and an octagonal chapel to the north. The main south-east facade presents two storeys with three bays, the centre slightly recessed. The side elevations rise to three storeys with five bays between two-storey, single-bay projecting wings. An early 20th-century porch on the north-east side comprises a six-fielded-panel double door with a fanlight featuring radial glazing bars, set between Ionic columns and topped with a cornice.

The principal south-east facade features a flight of steps leading to a central part-glazed door flanked by 15-pane unequally hung sashes beneath a semicircular Tuscan portico with cornice. To either side are elliptically arched recesses containing tripartite windows of 15-pane unequally hung sashes with aprons, with Tuscan columns between and flanking Tuscan responds supporting a frieze. The first floor contains three round-arched recesses with similar tripartite windows and aprons, with Ionic columns between and responds supporting a cornice. Within each arch is a Coade stone relief depicting agricultural scenes. The facade features an eaves cornice and blocking course, with a hipped roof and ridge and rear stacks.

The projecting wings display similar elliptical and semicircular arched window recesses. The ground and first floors have 15-pane unequally hung sashes, whilst the second floor has 9-pane unequally hung sashes. The west side features giant pilasters to the first and second floors of the three central bays, supporting an elaborately decorated pediment.

The chapel at the north-west corner has a rear entrance comprising a six-fielded-panel door. Its windows are multi-paned within moulded basket-arched surrounds with keystones and moulded aprons. Pilaster strips mark the angles, and the structure has a cornice and low parapet with a concealed roof.

The interior is largely a recreation of the elaborate Neoclassical scheme, employing original Jackson moulds for the plasterwork. The stucco decoration includes pilaster strips, friezes and ceilings throughout. The drawing room features a more elaborate frieze, ceiling and arched recesses. The library has a vaulted ceiling in three square groined bays with two short tunnel vaults between, decorated with stucco, and Ionic pilasters between the bookshelves. The dining room ceiling is a recreation of the original circa 1751 design as embellished by Rose.

The entrance hall by Brierley has heavily rusticated door surrounds. The main hall, redesigned by Brierley, contains two Tuscan arcades and an imperial staircase with a wrought-iron balustrade ornamented with elephant's heads, topped by a central domed lantern on coupled columns. The rear staircase reuses original wrought-iron with an arcaded balustrade. A Turkish room dating from circa 1914 is lined with tiles from Damascus. Some original marble fireplaces remain.