Little Ponton Hall And Service Range With Yard

Little Ponton Hall is a small country house with a service range and yard, dating from the early 18th century, with alterations and additions in the late 18th century, the early 19th century, and again notably in 1864. The main house is constructed of squared limestone rubble with ashlar quoins and ashlar dressings, with slate roofs, stone coped gables, and moulded ashlar gable and ridge stacks. It is two storeys high plus attics, and has an eight-bay south front, arranged as three bays, three bays, and two bays, with the central three bays projecting slightly and a first-floor band. The right-hand five bays represent the original early 18th-century seven-bay facade. The left-hand bays were reduced in height and replaced in the late 18th century by three slightly higher bays. A central half-glazed door with a plain overlight is set in panelled reveals, sheltered by an added Doric portico with a plain cornice. To the left is a glazing bar sash window; to the right a mid-19th century bay window with a hipped slate roof containing three tall glazing bar sashes separated by pilasters; and to the right, three glazing bar sashes. On the first floor are eight glazing bar sashes; those in the central three bays have ashlar surrounds with keystones. Four glazing bar casement dormers with curved lead roofs and cheeks are set into the roof. The left-hand side has a three-bay front in ashlar with a hipped slate roof, featuring a late 18th-century bow window containing three glazing bar sashes, flanked by single similar windows. The parapet is ramped up to the slightly advanced central bay. Inside the main house, a late 18th-century circular top-lit stair hall contains a cantilevered staircase with two slender moulded balusters per tread, a wreathed handrail, and niches with semi-circular heads to the upper floor. A rear door surround from the early 18th century features eared sides, scrolled brackets, and a pediment. To the right of the hall is a late 18th-century service block, altered in 1864, arranged in a U-plan. This two-storey, six-bay block has three blocked openings on the ground floor and two glazing bar sashes above, whilst the first floor has two smaller blocked openings above three similar windows. Within the yard, five early 18th-century pedimented doorcases are located on the rear elevation, along with a 1864 datestone bearing the Turnor initials. The house was likely built for William Thorold (died 1725) or Lord Widrington, and was altered in the late 18th century for the Pennyman family, and in the 19th century by Christopher Turnor of Stoke Rochford Hall. The doorcases in the yard are believed to have originated from one of the demolished Stoke Rochford Halls.