Aughton Court

ASTON-CUM-AUGHTON WORKSOP ROAD SK48NE (south side, off) Aston 6/21 Aughton Court 29.3.68 (formerly listed as Aston Hall (Aughton Court) Hospital)

GV II* Country house originally known as Aston Hall, undergoing conversion to nursing home at time of resurvey. c1772 by John Carr for Lord Holderness, with staircase of 1776-7 by John Platt of Rotherham far Harry Verelst; service wing of 1825. Ashlar limestone Westmorland slate roof. 3 storeys, 2:3:2 x 5 bays with 2-storey, 5-bay service wing on right. Main range: central 3 bays form canted full-height bay. Plinth, Rusticated basement has central 10-panel door and 6-pane sashes all with rusticated flat arches. Piano nobile: deep band; balustraded aprons and sill band to sashes with glazing bars in architraves with pulvinated friezes and cornices, the central window with consoled pediment. Attic: 6-pane sashes in architraves. Modillioned cornice to hipped roof with ashlar stacks flanking the central projection. Service wing: sashed with glazing bars having projecting sills and flat arches. lst-floor band and sill band continuous from main range: taller sashes to upper floor; eaves cornice to hipped roof with C20 stacks to rear. Rear of main range: as front but without emphasis to central bays. Left return: bay 1 window walled-up; bays 2 and 4 have French windows; bay 3 window partly infilled; lst-floor windows shored up. Interior: Doric-columned entrance hall with side-wall fireplace and handrail; wall panels; Ionic 1st-floor screen. Library to rear centre has bookcases in Adam style. 1st floor; room above library has pedimented doorcase flanked by arched recesses, dado rail and enriched cornice. Room across left side of house with oak floor, 2 Rococo-style wooden fireplaces and enriched surrounds towall and ceiling panels with corner shells. 2nd floor: landing with arcaded sides and round roof-light; several contemporary fireplaces. Later additions not of special interest. Lord Holderness, Secretary of state for the North 1751-61, had the old house of the D'Arcy family pulled down to build the present structure. He chose not to occupy the house but let it to Harry Verelst, former Governor of Bengal and one-time assistant to Clive of India. Verelst purchased the house in 1774-5 and had Platt insert the present staircase; his family erected the service wing in 1825 and at the same time had Carr's original external entrance stair to the piano nobile removed. M. and R. B. Wragg, 'Two Houses by Carr of York', Country Life, April 12th 1956, pp752-5.

Listing NGR: SK4688985188