Stanford Hall

Stanford Hall

Country house built beginning in 1697 by William Smith of Warwick for Sir Roger Cave. The house was decorated and altered by Francis Smith from 1730, with decorations continued in 1743 by William Smith the younger. Nineteenth-century alterations were made, and further changes in the 20th century.

The building is constructed of brick with ashlared stone dressings. It is arranged in an H-plan with a double-pile centre, hipped slate roofs with 4 large brick stacks, 2 storeys, basement and attic. A plinth with moulded set-off course runs around the base, with a moulded first floor band above. Stone quoins mark the angles, and a moulded and modillioned wooden eaves cornice runs beneath the eaves.

The south front is the principal elevation, finished in ashlar and comprising 9 bays arranged symmetrically. Two-bay wings to left and right project forward slightly. A central flight of steps with iron railings leads to the main doorway. At basement level, the central section has a single chamfered rectangular blocked window to the left and a similar window with leaded lights to the right. A square chamfered blocked window with central mullion is positioned to the left, while a similar window with leaded lights sits to the right. The wings each have 2 similar windows, all with leaded lights except the far left which is now blocked. The central doorway has a shouldered architrave with keystone and a moulded segmental pediment supported on moulded brackets, all in stone. Contemporary 20th-century glazed double doors now occupy the opening. Flanking the doorway are 2 glazing-bar sash windows with architraves, keystones, and aprons with balusters. Above these are a central glazing-bar sash with an architrave featuring a mask in place of the keystone and elongated scrolls with fruit to either side, with an apron of balusters and panels. To left and right are 2 sashes similar to those below. The wings each have 2 glazing-bar sashes on the piano nobile and 2 above, all with architraves and aprons formed of bolection moulded panels. The attic storey features 3 dormers with triangular pediments above the central 5 bays, and single dormers on the wings with segmental pediments. All dormers contain glazing-bar sashes.

The east front is plainer, constructed in brick with stone dressings, and comprises 7 bays arranged symmetrically. The ashlared basement contains 2 windows similar to those on the south front. All other windows are glazing-bar sashes; 6 on the piano nobile have architraves and triangular pediments, while 7 above have architraves, sills on brackets, and bolection cornices. Two dormers with triangular pediments light the attic. A central doorway on the piano nobile has a moulded doorcase with triangular pediment and a part-glazed door with over-light. This doorway is reached via a large, late 19th-century double flight stairway, heavily balustraded, with a basement level doorway flanked by single oeil-de-boeuf windows, all rusticated and set below a heavily rusticated segmental band.

The west front is plainer, and the north front plainer still, with markedly projecting wings. Basement windows and 4 dormers appear as on the south front. The main storey has glazing-bar sashes with cambered arches and plain sills. Two 19th-century extruded corner bays in brick were added to the recessed centre.

Interior

The main staircase dates from 1730 and is cantilevered with open string. It has 3 balusters per tread, alternating between turned, fluted columns on vases and barley sugar twist balusters, with a moulded, ramped, and wreathed handrail and fluted newels. The panelled dado and moulded dado rail are intact. The panelled staircase hall has an ornate plasterwork ceiling. An earlier dog-leg staircase of around 1700 is also present, with closed string, turned balusters, moulded rail, newels with balls, and panelled dado.

The ballroom was created in 1743 and features a coved ceiling with Rococo decoration at the corners and a heavily moulded cornice. Moulded wall frames are present, and there is an ornate chimneypiece with satyr terms and triangular pediment, all executed by John Wright of Worcester. The ceiling was painted in 1880 by Felix Joubert.

The library and several other rooms are panelled with good chimneypieces, moulded cornices, and 6-panel doors throughout.

Stanford Hall represents a variant of the architectural type introduced by Pratt's Clarendon House of the 1660s.