Norton Place

Norton Place is a country house built in 1776 by the architect John Carr for the Member of Parliament John Harrison. Minor alterations were carried out around 1830 by Lewis Vulliamy for Sir Montagu Cholmeley. The building is constructed in ashlar with a slate roof concealed behind a parapet.

The main front is two storeys with attics, comprising seven bays arranged in the pattern 2:3:2. The central bays are slightly advanced and topped with a pediment. The facade features a plinth, ground floor sill band, dentillated cornice and parapet with balustraded panels. The principal entrance consists of central half-glazed panelled double doors accessed by four steps, flanked by tall single glazing bar fixed lights. This composition is framed by columns in antis, with a pedimented porch in front supported by two free-standing Doric columns. The weathered coat of arms of the builder is set within the pediment. On either side are three glazing bar sash windows with deep architraves and pediments. The first floor contains a central Venetian window with semi-circular head, its lights divided by Ionic columns with flanking columns in antis and supported on scrolled brackets. To either side are three glazing bar sashes with moulded architraves and cornices. A garlanded oculus occupies the pediment above.

The left-hand front elevation comprises three bays, with the central bay canted through three storeys. This bay is preceded by a single-storey pedimented porch with urns, containing fine double doors with eared wooden surrounds featuring egg and dart moulding. This porch was added later by Lewis Vulliamy. The rear service wing is also in ashlar and consists of a two-storey hipped range of three bays and a two-storey single bay featuring a tripartite window with a Diocletian window above.

The interior is of exceptional quality, retaining original plaster ceilings and chimney pieces throughout. The octagonal side entrance hall features a fireplace with fluted pilasters, dentillated cornice and original iron firebasket, fittings and marble slips. A lobby leads to the oval stair hall, which contains three doors between which are placed two hemispherically headed niches with fluted plaster heads. The floor is laid in square limestone panels with black circular marble inlays at the angles. The cantilevered stone geometric stair has an open string with paired serpentine wrought iron balusters interspersed with floriate arabesques and a wreathed handrail. The underside of the landing displays a dentillated and anthemia frieze. To the first floor are eight recesses, of which five are doorways and three are blank; all feature glazed traceried fanlights and are linked by a continuous impost frieze. Above runs a cornice with urns, flutes and anthemia, above which the roof rises to a ribbed vault decorated with paterae and centred with a glazed light.

The Drawing Room possesses a white marble fireplace with fluted pilasters and moulded cornice. The flutes and frieze contain scagiola panels in dark green with a frieze of wreaths and urns. The decorated skirting and dado rail are surmounted by full-height plaster panels rising to an elaborate cornice of acanthus scrolls, urns and entaglios of classical figures. The ceiling decoration consists of a delicate plaster oval with fan corners, filled with Adam style scrolls and garlands. The doorcase to the front hall features an elaborate fluted and moulded plaster architrave with Corinthian capitals and a frieze of urns, scrolls and a central oval panel of Venus. The six panels of the door are decorated with Greek key design. The floor is oak parquet arranged in diagonal panels.

The Front Hall displays full-height plaster panels, a dentillated cornice and a concave lozenge ceiling centrepiece. The Dining Room contains a white marble fireplace with Ionic pillars in veined yellow marble supporting a fluted frieze and dentillated cornice, centred with a classical urn and flanked by tazzas. The plaster panelling above the dado rail is decorated with harebell garlands. The Breakfast Room contains a further classical marble fireplace, and the door leading to the stair hall features a fluted overdoor and is flanked by single hemispherically headed niches with plaster cornices decorated with paterae and flutes.