Harrington Hall

Harrington Hall is a country house of late 16th-century origin, built for the Copledykes, which was substantially rebuilt in the late 17th century by Vincent Amcotts and further altered and extended during the 18th century.

The exterior is constructed of red brick with some blue brick, dressed stone and ashlar, beneath a slate roof. It stands on a chamfered dressed stone plinth of 16th-century date and comprises two storeys plus an attic across 13 bays, with a prominent central porch rising to three storeys. Single red brick chimney stacks rise to the ridge, left gable and rear, with brick coped gables finished with kneelers and a modillion cornice.

The central porch, a 16th-century feature with a deep parapet, is set on a moulded plinth and features blue brick diaper work to the side walls. Thin octagonal angle buttresses rise to rectangular clasping buttresses, with a first floor moulded band and giant Ionic pilasters traversing the first and second floors. The main doorway is set into a projecting panel, comprising a double panelled and part glazed door with overlight and fielded panel reveal with keystone, flanked by single ashlar mounting blocks each carrying four steps and panelled. Above the doorway sits an ashlar sundial dated 1681. Either side are six 18th-century glazing bar sashes, with a further 13 glazing bar sashes above, the central sash having a keystone with a blind rectangular panel over. The top floor of the porch has a single smaller similar sash with decorative keystone. In the attic are six segmental arched roof dormers with single glazing bar sashes. A weathervane dated 1678 surmounts the porch.

Attached to the left is an 18th-century red brick and slate wing of two storeys and three bays, with a brick coped left gable and kneelers, moulded cornice, and three glazing bar sashes on each floor. The rear elevation shows a 17th-century double gable to the south and a single gable to the north, with some 18th-century infilling, three giant order pilasters, and first and second floor bands forming a band to the parapet. The brick plinth is interrupted in places by a single rectangular Artisan-Mannerist style panel. At the north end is a 16th-century cavetto moulded ashlar mullion window with four semi-circular arched lights and recessed triangular panelled spandrels, set onto a dressed stone chamfered plinth with remains of dressed stone wall to the left and a brick relieving arch above.

The interior is exceptionally rich in early 18th-century joinery and decoration. The porch features a coved ceiling decorated with Greek key and foliate patterns, a frieze with triglyph and guttae, and fielded panel seats with fluted Doric pilasters and fielded panel backs flanking either side, with a panelled inner door.

The hall is lined with early 18th-century moulded panelling to the walls flanked by fluted pilasters, which also flank the windows. The angles of the room are fitted with fluted quarter columns. A wide elliptical arch with panelled soffit spans the room, above which runs a frieze with triglyph and guttae, while the moulded panelled ceiling is divided into rectangles and decorated with Greek key pattern.

The morning room retains some 16th-century panelling. The drawing room contains circa 1700 panelling with fluted Ionic pilasters and a moulded cornice. The dining room features panelled dado with thin bolection moulding, with the fireplace flanked by fluted pilasters and an egg and dart cornice above. The study has similar panelling to the dining room and includes a recessed blind fielded panel arch with keyblock. Two arched doorways with part glazed and panelled doors flanked by single narrow glazing bar and panelled strips lead to the staircase, with single fluted Doric pilasters and a traceried fanlight with keyblock to each, and deep reveals to the stair side also with keyblock.

The early 18th-century open well staircase is of exceptional quality, featuring three balusters to each tread, one fluted and tapering and two twisted, with richly moulded bases. Composite newels support a finely carved tread ends decorated with pine cones, foliage and flower heads, while the moulded mahogany bannister runs throughout. The dado is fielded panelled.

The first floor has an open landing with archways corresponding to those of the ground floor, a dentil cornice, and an early 19th-century panelled ceiling decorated with four winged cherubs. A bedroom is panelled with bolection work and deep moulded cornice. The boudoir features fielded panels, cornice and a decorative ceiling to the west side. A long passage connects almost all the first floor rooms.

The tower room retains 16th-century panelling extending into the hall, with a coved ceiling of heavy moulding and a deep window seat. A passage off it contains two arched cupboards with fielded panels and a single similar blind arch. The blue bedroom has some fielded panelling and dentil cornice, while a further small room contains five sets of arches with fielded panel doors and fanlights with fielded panels, and an egg and dart and modillion decorated ceiling with foliate centre.

A 17th-century back staircase rises as a single flight with turned balusters with square knops and bases, four plain newels with single ball finials, and a deep moulded bannister extending to both sides of the landing.

Throughout the house are numerous panelled shutters, many doors with fielded panels and reveals, and a number of 18th-century marble fireplaces with simple roll moulding.

Historically, the manor passed from the de Harington family to the Copledykes in the 14th century and was purchased by Vincent Amcotts in 1673.