Fydell House And Wall And Railings And 2 Urns

Fydell House and Wall and Railings and 2 Urns

Fydell House in Boston is now used as an adult education centre. The main house dates to 1726, with minor 19th-century alterations. The architect may have been William Sands of Spalding. The building is constructed of red brick in Flemish bond with ashlar dressings, a plain tiled hipped roof, and brick valley stacks, following a double pile plan.

The exterior presents two storeys plus attics with a cellar. A stone-capped plinth is topped by a 1st floor platt band, plain frieze, and full entablature. A balustraded parapet with four panelled piers crowns the composition. The six-bay front is arranged in groups of 2:2:2, divided by full-height Doric pilasters. Four stone steps lead to a central six-panel door with a radiating fanlight within a round-headed arch with keystone, all contained within a stone doorcase with paired Doric columns and an open scrolled pediment. The door is flanked by single small semicircular-headed sidelights and a pair of windows beyond. The first floor has pairs of windows between each pilaster, with a small brick niche positioned between the central pair. Windows throughout are glazing bar sashes with moulded stone architraves. Three pedimented dormers sit within the roof behind the parapet.

The rear elevation features a stone-topped plinth, brick band, and dentilled eaves. The parapet is lined with 20th-century slender turned timber balusters. This face comprises six bays with a central 19th-century pedimented single-storey extension in painted timber designed to resemble ashlar, complete with Doric pilasters and frieze. Four semicircular steps access a half-glazed door flanked by single glazing bar sashes. To either side of the projection are further pairs of windows. The first floor carries six more windows—all glazing bar sashes with rubbed brick wedge arches. Four stone mullioned lights serve the cellar. Single pedimented dormers occupy the two hipped roof ends. Two lead downpipes bear the date MDCCXXVI and a coat of arms. A single-storey two-bay kitchen block of 19th-century date stands to the left.

The interior contains a panelled hall with a diamond-flagged floor and a plain early 18th-century marble fire surround inlaid with Delft tiles, topped by a bolection-moulded overmantle. The ceiling displays decorated plaster work featuring foliate roundels, fruit, and swags. A room to the left features full-height panelling and a dentilled frieze, with an egg-and-dart decorated fire surround. The rear room has full-height panelling and a fine surround with scrolled brackets. The main stairs display three balusters per tread in fluted, plain, and twisted patterns, with a wreathed handrail, carved tread ends, and fluted newels. Rococo plaster panels adorn the stair hall. Back stairs feature turned balusters. Upstairs rooms also contain full-height panelling with broken pediments to overdoors and fine surrounds.

The forecourt is bounded by stone-coped and ramped brick walls. Those at the front are lower, with stone base and coping and tall panelled stone piers at each end, each surmounted by a ball finial. These walls support a set of fine wrought-iron railings with central double gates and a decorative overthrow. Within the forecourt stand a pair of 18th-century moulded stone bases supporting stone urns. A long garden wall with two gateways is attached to the kitchen block.

The house was rebuilt in 1726 by the Jackson family—a dated brick beside the front door and the downpipes confirm this date. Around that time, it passed into the ownership of Joseph Fydell, who became Mayor of Boston. Members of the Fydell family, several of whom served as MPs for Boston, owned the property during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Boston Preservation Trust acquired it in 1935.