High Melton Hall

SE50SW HIGH MELTON

7/86 High Melton Hall

5.6.68 GV II

Country house now college. Dated 1757, additions of 1878, major alterations of 1948-49. Originally for John Fountayne, Dean of York; attributed to James Paine (Colvin, p611). Deeply-coursed, dressed sandstone, graduated slate roof to central block. U-shaped C18 block extended to rear to form H-shaped range. Entrance front: 2:7:2 bays with C19 bay set back slightly on right. Plinth, quoins. Deeply-recessed, 3-storey central part has single-storey porch with blocked columns flanking rusticated round arch with console-shaped keystone, frieze inscribed 'NISI DOMINUS', cornice surmounted by affronted elephants. Flanking sashes with glazing bars, middle bays with shouldered architraves and 3 projecting voussoirs. Taller, lst-floor windows with sill band, central bay has swept, shouldered and eared architrave with projecting voussoirs and segmental pediment; middle bays to each side with corniced architraves. 2nd floor: unequally-hung 9-pane sashes, central bay with architrave. Modillioned cornice with blocking course, ridge stack to right of centre. 2-storey wings have unequally-hung 9-pane sashes to ground floor with soffit-nuulded sills and architraves with small keyblocks; similar surrounds to tall lst-floor windows with unequally-hung, 15-pane sashes. Cornice with blocking course has added parapet with rainwater heads dated 1949, mansard roofs of same date have end windows. 5-bay inner returns of wings as end bays, roof dormers. Rear: rubble-walled, curved projection has relieving arch to plain Venetian window. Left return; ashlar garden front with 3-storey canted bay having cornice to each floor, balustraded aprons and pediment.

Interior: Tuscan-pillared entrance hall. Curved projection to rear (formerly with staircase) has Ionic surround to Venetian window, flanking niches, modillioned cornice. lst-floor library to left of entrance has consoled, marble fireplace having raised panel over with broken pediment, flanking niches; doorcase with pulvinated, oak-leaf frieze and consoled pediment; architraved wall panels; modillioned cornice and coved edge to ceiling. Adjacent room has doorcase with shouldered architrave and cornice.

Passed to the Montague family then used by the military before purchase by Doncaster Education Committee in 1946.

H. Colvin, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840, 1978.

Listing NGR: SE5081301835