Somersby Grange

Somersby Grange is a Grade I listed house on Church Lane, Somersby, dating to 1722. It was possibly designed by Sir John Vanbrugh for Robert Burton, though drawings in the Banks Collection at Lincoln suggest the design may have been by Robert Alfray. The house was extended in 1929.

The building is constructed of red brick with a hipped slate roof hidden behind a parapet that is embattled to the north and finished with a wide cornice. It sits on a deep plinth and is arranged as a two-storey structure plus cellar, spanning seven bays. The outer single bays project to form mock turrets complete with mock machicolations. Two segmental arched cellar openings pierce the plinth.

The north front features a ground floor impost band. A central single-storey closed porch rises three 19th-century steps and has a plain parapet. The porch contains a rusticated round arched doorway with exaggerated imposts, fitted with a panelled and glazed 20th-century door with fanlight. The inner arched doorway has an eight-fielded panel door, its roof being coved and partly vaulted. Either side are two round arched glazing bar sashes, while the mock turrets contain single circular glazing bar casements. Above is a single similar sash flanked by single narrow recessed blind panels resembling the side lights of a Venetian window, with two further similar sashes either side. The mock turrets feature small rectangular glazing bar lights. To the left and set back slightly is a lower 20th-century two-storey single-bay wing built of 18th-century brick with a parapet embattled to the side elevation. This wing has a single mock turret at the left angle and a single segmental arched glazing bar sash on the first floor.

The south front comprises five bays set on a stepped plinth, with outer single bays featuring mock turrets. The central bay is wider, projects forward, and is topped with a pediment with rusticated quoins to the ground floor and small squat clasping buttresses. The cellar has a single segmental arched glazing bar light and three segmental arched blocked openings. A central doorway rises five steps with a panelled and glazed door, fanlight, glazing bar marginal sashes, and impost and lintel bands. Either side are single segmental arched glazing bar sashes. Each mock turret contains a single small round arched glazing bar sash with imposts. Above is a single central segmental arched glazing bar sash flanked by single blind recessed rectangular panels with impost, lintel and sill bands. Further left and right are single smaller segmental arched sashes, with the mock turrets featuring small circular glazing bar casements. To the right, set back, is the wing corresponding to the north front. To the left, set back, is a further 20th-century single-storey two-bay wing built of 18th-century brick on a deep plinth with two segmental arched glazing bar sashes. The north side of this wing displays corbelling similar to machicolations and a single blind segmental arched opening.

Single pairs of lateral red brick stacks are set between each pair of stacks is a small brick panel with a single small circular opening.

The interior is notable for its refined decoration. The staircase hall has a dentil cornice with a series of five semi-circular openings, most serving as doorways, each flanked by single fielded panel pilasters. Fielded panel doors are fitted with either glazed or fielded panel fanlights. The open well staircase has two short turns, with turned balusters featuring square knops. The newels are recessed panels, and a moulded banister is present. A panelled dado with moulded band forms the sill to a first-floor window, flanked by single rectangular niches; the niche on the right is now incorporated into an enlarged bedroom.

The dining room features an elliptical arch with fielded panel pilasters and soffit and keyblock. Four arched niches with keyblocks are set beneath a continuous impost band and cornice. The room has a fielded panel dado and a partly vaulted ceiling with bolection moulding. The doorway matches that of the staircase hall in design.

The drawing room displays fielded panelling extending into the turret, with a dado and fluted pilasters featuring triglyph and guttae. The doorway is consistent with the staircase hall pattern.

The kitchen has a high dado and two blind arched niches, with a doorway fitted with a blind fanlight. A room behind has a panelled dado containing a cupboard with fielded and other panels hung with H-L hinges. Arched niches in the bedrooms feature arches leading to the turrets. Fielded and other panelled doors are found throughout, and many window seats are present. The cellar contains fireplaces and arched openings.