Syerston Hall And Attached Outbuilding And Garden Wall

Syerston Hall and Attached Outbuilding and Garden Wall

A country house built between 1793 and 1796 for the Fillinghams, agents of the Duke of Rutland, with extensions to the rear added in 1812. The main house is constructed of red brick with some ashlar, set on a plinth with hipped slate roofs. It comprises two storeys plus a basement, arranged in five bays across the principal front.

The south-facing entrance front features a central doorway approached by five steps, protected by a Doric columned porch with fluted frieze, dentil cornice and dentil pediment. The door itself is panelled with a glazed ornamental overlight. On either side are two glazing bar sash windows on the ground floor, with five similar sashes above. The basement contains four blocked openings beneath segmental arches. A modillion eaves cornice with blocking course runs along the roofline, supported by two red brick ridge stacks.

The east front displays three bays and incorporates an early 19th-century polygonal bay of two storeys projecting from the centre, fitted with three glazing bar sashes. To either side are single similar sashes, with four matching sashes on the upper floor. A single recessed panel with painted glazing bars appears to the left. The basement retains one opening similar to those on the entrance front.

The west front is more complex, featuring a projecting two-storey single bay range with its own red brick stack. This carries a panelled door with glazing bar overlight and flush wedge brick lintel, with a single glazing bar sash above. Further left, set back slightly, stands a lower two-storey three-bay range with ridge and large rear red brick stacks, containing three glazing bar sashes below and three smaller examples above. Beyond this, also set back, is a brick and ashlar coped porch with an arched side entrance.

The 1812 rear wing extends across six bays in two storeys. Its principal doorway is approached by three steps and features a panelled door with glazing bar fanlight, flanked by single reeded pilasters and brackets supporting an open dentil pediment. To the left of the doorway are two glazing bar sashes; to the right, three. The first floor contains five matching sashes. To the right, slightly set back, is a lower two-storey single bay wing with a six-panel fielded door and overlight beneath a flush wedge brick lintel, and a single small glazing bar sash above. A projecting two-storey three-bay wing extends from the right side, containing two glazing bar sashes on the ground floor with a single recessed blind panel, and two small glazing bar sashes with a matching smaller panel above. All windows and blind panels throughout are fitted with flush wedge brick lintels.

The side wall of this eastern wing displays a very small square fixed light, a segmental arched doorway with double plank door and glazed over panel, a single round arched glazing bar sash traversing both floors, and a wooden panel with flush wedge brick lintel. Above is a recessed blind panel and a glazing bar casement, both similarly treated.

An ashlar coped brick wall, set on a plinth, projects from the right of the rear front and contains a central single-storey outbuilding with pyramidal slate roof. The outbuilding features an enlarged doorway and is flanked by three further doorways containing plank doors beneath segmental arches. The stable block, listed separately, is attached to the right.

An ashlar coped wall extends from the west front behind the west porch, terminating after eight metres in a single ashlar coped pier. A further similar wall projects from this and curves round, ending in a smaller pier. To the right of the pier is an arched entrance with small ashlar keystone. The wall continues northwards for 30 metres, then westwards for 43 metres, occasionally stepped, before curving round to extend five metres southwards. The north wall is broken by a segmental archway flanked by single ashlar coped brick piers, with a doorway containing a plank door on the interior right side. The west wall contains an arched doorway with plank door and small keystone.

The interior preserves good late 18th-century detailing. A notable open newel stair is cantilevered from the wall with simple carved tread ends and stick balusters, beneath an elliptical roof light. The dining room features a marble fireplace and acanthus ceiling centre. The drawing room displays a marble fireplace with a cornice decorated with acanthus leaves, flutes and small patera. The morning room cornice is decorated with acanthus leaves and stylised flowers, with a decorative fireplace flanked by outer Corinthian pilasters and a frieze decorated with figures. The servants hall retains some early wooden panelling. The first floor includes plain marble fireplaces, and a single bedroom features a dentil cornice.