Carnfield Hall

Carnfield Hall is a substantial country house of early 17th-century date, possibly with earlier origins, refronted in the early 18th century and subject to later alterations. It is constructed of coursed rubble stone with ashlar dressings and quoins, with plain tile roofs finished with moulded stone copings on moulded kneelers to the gables. Large quoined external side wall stacks project to both left and right returns, with an additional central ridge stack.

The building is arranged as a two-storey structure with attics, organised in an L-plan with a long rear range to the left. The main facade to the south comprises nine bays, originally featuring a lobby entrance plan now considerably altered, with three principal rooms now facing the front elevation.

The south elevation displays advanced double gabled bays to either side of a three-bay central section. At ground floor, the central section is marked by a bolection-moulded doorcase with a segmental open pediment supported on carved consoles, the cornice breaking forward over the consoles. To either side are full-height 18-pane sashes set in eared architraves with raised keystones, with three 12-pane sashes in similar surrounds placed within the advanced bays. The first floor carries nine sashes in comparable surrounds, and a blocked recessed and chamfered mullion and transomed window to the left return of the righthand bays. Above these, two 12-pane small sashes light the righthand bays, while fixed 9-pane windows serve the central three bays and lefthand bays, all within eared architraves with raised keystones. Central windows below a flush parapet are topped with a moulded eaves cornice.

The left return presents a tall external stack to the right and a three-storey advanced gabled bay to the left. This bay contains a 19th-century recessed and chamfered 3-light mullion window with dripmould at ground floor, a 17th-century 3-light mullion and transomed window with dripmould above, and a similar 3-light mullion window on the floor above. Between this bay and the stack are sashes with glazing bars set in 18th-century architraves, one positioned at half-landing level. Beyond the stack to the right stands an 18th-century doorcase with cornice and an 18-pane sash in architrave above. To the left of the stack, a hopper head is attached inscribed 'JW 1820'. The rear wing attached to the far left displays 19th-century recessed and chamfered mullion windows to the ground floor and sashes in plain surrounds above, with a large stepped projection to the extreme left, possibly a former stack. The rear elevation contains a mixture of 17th-century mullion and transomed windows, 19th-century copies, and early 18th-century sashes.

The interior is distinguished by two early 17th-century wide dogleg staircases rising through three floors. Each staircase features turned bobbin balusters with substantial fluted newels, later urn finials, and moulded handrails; one is situated to the rear of the entrance hall, the other to the lefthand side behind the main room. Seventeenth-century panelling with fluted friezes adorns several rooms, some reset in the early 20th century from other houses. A composite overmantle of carved 17th-century woodwork is present in the hall and the room above it. Two early 18th-century bolection-moulded fireplaces serve the first floor rooms, whilst several chamfered 17th-century fireplaces are found in the attic rooms. Early 18th-century doors and shutters are present throughout. A splat baluster screen tops the back staircase, and an early 18th-century semi-circular headed cupboard sits at its bottom. Substantial quantities of close-studded timber framing are visible throughout the ground and first floors. Evidence beside the back staircase suggests the original ground floor ceiling level was raised during the 17th century.

Carnfield Hall was the seat of the Revel family.