Radbourne Hall

Radbourne Hall is a country house built in 1739 for German Pole, probably by William Smith the Younger. The building was restored and reduced around 1960, with a large addition from around 1865 now mostly demolished.

The house is constructed of rusticated stone at basement level, with red brick and stone dressings above. It is roofed in slate with a hipped form, brick ridge stacks hidden behind stone-coped brick parapets. The building is two storeys plus basement, arranged in seven bays with the three central bays advanced. A plain stone plinth runs across the basement, with a plain sill band and a moulded stone cornice above.

The entrance front is approached by a broad flight of stone steps with shaped balusters across the central three bays. The basement contains two glazed bar sash windows with rusticated voussoirs on either side. Above are six full-height glazed bar sashes with alternating segmental and triangular pediments, moulded shouldered surrounds and pulvinated friezes. At the centre stands a pair of glazed doors within a Corinthian doorcase featuring a dentilled segmental pediment and pulvinated frieze. The second storey has seven glazed bar sashes in moulded shouldered surrounds, with a triangular pediment over the central bays containing a carved achievement of the Pole family surrounded by abundant flower and foliage carving.

The park elevation is similarly styled with advanced central bays. Here the seven glazed bar sashes on each level are topped with moulded cornices rather than pediments, and a bull's eye window is set within the central pediment. The east and west elevations comprise three bays with central bays advanced. The west elevation follows the style of the main elevation except for its central bay, which has a glazed door below rusticated voussoirs to the basement, above which sits a round window in a moulded surround and a large Venetian staircase window. The east elevation is plainer, without rustication to the basement, and features a Venetian window at ground floor level in the central bay.

The interior contains complete contemporary decoration of high quality. The entrance hall is distinguished by a twin columned screen. Its plasterwork ceiling incorporates Greek Key design to the ribs and a central shell rose. A moulded fireplace with pedimented overmantle and oak leaf decoration to the pulvinated frieze below stands opposite a matching niche. Pairs of doors in architectural surrounds line the space, with pedimented doors on the far side of the screen.

The mahogany dogleg staircase features turned balusters fluted at the base and a moulded ramped handrail, demonstrating fine craftsmanship throughout.

The saloon behind the hall displays painted and gilded wood and stucco decoration of elaborate design across walls and ceiling. The end walls contain sets of three pictures in gilt architectural frames by Joseph Wright, whilst the south wall holds two large paintings by J H Mortimer in similar frames. Paired doors feature bolection moulded acanthus leaf friezes and moulded cornices, with an open pediment to the hall door. The fireplace has a shouldered surround and overmantle with open pediment and central bust.

The dining room is completely panelled with a dentilled cornice and coved ceiling featuring a Greek Key frieze. A reused 18th-century coloured marble fireplace with bolection moulding and a segment-headed mirror in a moulded surround occupy the east wall, concealing a cupboard niche.

The old dining room, now used as a kitchen, retains its coved ceiling and dado rail, though its original grey marble fireplace has been relocated to the basement. The library has been refashioned in Adam style with 19th-century bookshelves, whilst the opposite drawing room preserves its original coved ceiling and marble fireplace with shouldered surround and swan-necked pediment to the overmantle with scrolled sides.

The upper rooms are considerably plainer. The Tapestry Room contains a Jacobean chimneypiece and reused 18th-century panelling, likely from an earlier house on the site. One north bedroom features a good mahogany pedimented overmantle, whilst others contain modest 18th-century fireplaces. A corridor displays bolection moulded plaster panels, and the ceiling to the west end over the main staircase contains a fine plaster rose set within a moulded circular panel.

The basement contains few features of note except for reused 17th-century panelling in one bedroom and a groin-vaulted passage running from one side of the house to the other.