Upton Hall

Upton Hall is a country house on the west side of Main Road, now the headquarters of the British Horological Institute. The building incorporates a 17th-century house within a substantially rebuilt structure of 1832 designed by W. J. Donthorn, with a large addition and interior remodelled in 1895 for Mr. Warwick.

The house is constructed in Greek Revival style using brick, stucco and colourwash with slate roofs. It features an ashlar plinth, brick plinth, moulded string course and cornice, and moulded stucco and brick eaves with coped parapets. The chimney stack arrangement comprises 4 capped stacks at the corners of the dome parapet, 6 on the side walls, 3 on the gable, and 2 on the ridge.

The building is arranged in an L-plan with 2 and 3 storeys and 7 bays in the arrangement 3/1/3. The south front of 1832 presents a recessed central bay flanked by symmetrical wings. The central bay contains an ashlar basement with 3 glazing bar sashes and latticed iron area railing. Above this stands a tetrastyle Ionic portico with pediment and antae decorated with a 19th-century foliate frieze, featuring 3 full-height French windows with overlights flanked by fluted cast iron urns. Beyond the portico are single 3-light glazing bar sashes with pilasters and panelled friezes. The central lights feature blind bases with scroll brackets and Greek Key ornament. Above these are a central mullioned and transomed French window with flanking blank openings, all bearing moulded eared Egyptian architraves. At the top level sits a central low-pitched dome with a central light set within a balustraded and railed enclosure. To the left, a linking bay contains a central round-headed doorway with pilasters and panelled cornice, fitted with double half-glazed doors and fanlight, with a 3-light plain sash above.

The 1895 addition to the west features a south front with a central 2-storey bow window framed by Ionic pilasters and displaying 3 curved plain sashes, flanked by single 3-light plain sashes with pilasters, panelled friezes and cornices. Above this rises another central bow window containing 3 sashes, again flanked by single 3-light plain sashes.

The east front presents a pedimented central bay containing a 3-bay portico in antis with square columns and pilasters bearing moulded capitals and bases. The portico features glazed infill with central double doors surmounted by an overlight, flanked on the left by a blank panel and on the right by a glazing bar sash. Above are a blank panel to the left and smaller glazing bar sash to the right. The pediment is flanked by single fluted urns. At the return angle to the right stands a single glazing bar sash with a blank panel above. A 3-storey rear wing extends to the right, containing 2 glazing bar sashes (the right-hand one being smaller), with a single glazing bar sash on each floor above.

The west side displays a 20th-century casement to the right and a 17th-century stone casement with keeled mullion and splayed reveal to the left. Above are 2 glazing bar sashes on each floor with keystoned rubbed brick heads, with traces of stone mullioned windows visible. Lower 2-storey outbuildings to the north include a brick and stone stair structure with kennel beneath on the left, and 3 glazing bar sashes to the right. Above are a recessed door to the left and a glazing bar sash to the right. The east side of these outbuildings features 19th-century fenestration including a triple glazing bar sash and a rainwater head inscribed "J W 1832". The 1895 west front contains 4 panels with moulded architraves to the right and a plain sash on each floor to the left. The 1895 rear wings extend 2 and 3 storeys across 3 bays, displaying 2 triple plain sashes with pilasters and plain sashes bearing keystoned rubbed brick heads. The east entrance features a panelled double door with glazing bar overlight and single flanking glazing bar lights.

The interior is richly finished. The entrance hall contains a moulded doorway with panelled architrave and cornice, and a large Classical marble fireplace with pilasters and scrolled brackets, surmounted by an overmantel mirror framed with Corinthian pilasters, anthemion frieze and cornice. The central hall, decorated in Jacobean style during the 1895 works, features half-height panelling and a northern balcony on scroll brackets. To its left stands a 2-bay arcade with moulded keystoned basket arches. To the right rise cantilevered stairs with landing and galleries, featuring panelled square newels with lion and ball finials, a balcony with fretted panel, and square tapered Classical balusters. The south side of the hall contains a central recess housing a marble fireplace with Corinthian columns on dice, strapwork, reeded frieze, 2 panels with relief carving, and a broken segmental pediment with finials. To the left, a doorway with moulded architrave, reeded frieze and corniced panel on scroll brackets bears the inscription "1895".

The hall gallery features central porticoes to east and west, each with dice carrying fluted square timber piers, foliate friezes and moulded pediments. The eastern portico contains 20th-century glazed doors and overlight. The shallow domed ceiling displays a foliate cornice with shields bearing Arms to north and south, and the dome itself features moulded pendentives with a central light.

The Bateman Room to the south exhibits half-height panelling and a moulded cornice with foliate central boss. At its west end stands a shouldered marble fireplace surround with scroll brackets, relief-carved frieze and moulded cornice, flanked by a pair of Corinthian columns supporting a Renaissance Revival overmantel adorned with pilasters bearing cherubs and a moulded elliptical pediment. Flanking the fireplace are panelled fitted corner seats on moulded brackets. The east end features 3 full-height pointed-headed mirrors with foliate scrollwork.

The Front Office to the south contains a Classical ashlar fireplace with double Ionic piers and antae, moulded frieze and dentillated cornice. The kitchen preserves the remains of a chamfered ashlar fireplace. The Theatre to the south features a late 19th-century moulded proscenium arch with deep moulded foliate cornice, shells in the spandrels, and a central scrolled cartouche.

The first-floor Harrison Room contains a 19th-century Classical timber fireplace with eared and shouldered overmantel mirror. The first-floor boudoir to the southeast features wall panels with scrolled oval heads and moulded cornice, a timber fireplace with very large angled scrolled brackets, foliate carving, curved panelled frieze and moulded mantel shelf, together with a matching overmantel mirror displaying foliate scrolled brackets and shaped head, and a window seat.

Other principal rooms throughout the house are finished with moulded friezes and cornices, with several displaying late 19th-century moulded coffered ceilings. Early 19th-century back stairs incorporate winders and landings, turned newels, ramped handrail and stick balusters.