Arbury Hall

Arbury Hall is a country house of exceptional architectural importance, representing one of the finest examples of the early Gothic Revival in England. It was originally built in the late 16th century for Sir Edmund Anderson, with the chapel remodelled in 1678. The building underwent complete transformation and Gothicisation between 1749 and 1803 for Sir Roger Newdigate, working with architect-mason William Hiorn (1748–1755), Henry Keene (1761–1776), and Henry Couchman, clerk of works (1776–1789). Sir Roger Newdigate himself probably contributed designs, and Sanderson Miller may also have been involved.

The exterior is constructed of grey Attleborough and Wilnecote sandstone ashlar, arranged on a courtyard plan with roofs hidden by parapets and ashlar external stacks. The building displays late Perpendicular Gothic Revival styling throughout, with three storeys, moulded plinths and string courses, and moulded and embattled parapets decorated with crocketed pinnacles. All openings are moulded and chamfered four-centred arches; windows contain sashes and casements with Gothick glazing bars.

The south garden front is symmetrical with 1–1–3–1–1 bays. The composition includes a western bay window of 1752, an eastern bay of 1761, and a central Dining Room range completed 1769–1779. The projecting wings have polygonal clasping buttresses to outer corners, with blind quatrefoil and lancet panelling rising into panelled and crocketed pinnacles. The two-storey polygonal bays contain windows to three sides with leaf carving and blind arches. Below the first-floor windows sits an elaborately moulded quatrefoil panel bearing a coat of arms. The second floor features straight-headed windows of two arched lights with hood moulds throughout. A large one-storey central projection of three bays has polygonal clasping buttresses rising into panelled and crocketed turrets with niches, profusely decorated with blind arcading, a quatrefoil frieze, and an arcaded parapet with panelled and crocketed pinnacles between bays. Large four-light windows display panel tracery and ogee outer arches with finials. Lower single-storey bays to left and right contain moulded doorways with hood moulds and double-leaf sash doors with painted wood tracery and blind tracery panels, beneath openwork embattled parapets.

The north entrance front, probably designed in 1783 but constructed 1792–1796, presents 1–3–1 bays with large external stacks between centre and blank outer bays. The angles feature buttresses with turrets similar to those on the garden front. A central three-bay porte-cochere has angle and other buttresses rising into panelled crocketed pinnacles, with moulded cornice and parapet with finials. The interior of the porte-cochere is vaulted with moulded piers. The central double-leaf sash door has a fanlight with painted wood tracery. Flanking bays contain small quatrefoil windows set in square panels. Windows to left and right of the porte-cochere on each floor are largely blind. The first floor displays more elaborate window treatment, with a central tripartite window of simple intersecting tracery. The second floor has a central two-light window similar to the garden front.

The east front dates to around 1786 and comprises two storeys in 1–3–2–1 bays, with three large external stacks. The detailing is largely similar to the entrance front. A three-bay section features a large polygonal one-storey bay window of seven mullioned and transomed lights with elaborate Gothick glazing, beneath a central sash door. A blind fret frieze, moulded cornice, and vine leaf frieze are topped with crocketed pinnacles and fleur-de-lys cresting.

The west front dates from 1789–1803 and is irregular in composition. Some rubble walling and blocked mullioned and transomed windows survive from the earlier house. Three large external stacks are present.

The interior contains remarkable decoration spanning several campaigns. The Entrance Hall and Cloisters, built 1783–1785, feature plaster quadripartite vaulting with moulded ribs and shafts. A semi-circular apse contains a stone geometrical staircase with reused openwork balusters, scrollwork, newel posts, and finials dating to around 1580. Old armorial glass is retained in some windows.

The chapel retains a plaster ceiling of 1678 by Edward Martin, with a central shaped panel featuring an inner wreath and deep coving with festoons, surrounded by a richly decorated outer border of flowers, fruit and foliage. Small similarly decorated shaped panels are present, with an acanthus cornice. Contemporary panelling features bolection-moulded lower panels; upper moulded panels have shouldered and indented architraves, separated by carved drops suspended from winged cherubs' heads. An arched organ recess at the west end displays fluted Tuscan pilasters, more elaborate drops between panels, and a late 18th-century ceiling. A panelled pulpit is also present.

The Library, built 1754–1761 by Hiorn, contains Gothick panelling with shafts, cornice, and ogee-gabled bookcases, with open fretwork arches to a bay window and recess. The chimney-piece has panelling and a canopy of three ornamented ogee arches. A segmental plaster ceiling displays Etruscan motifs and medallions from a design of 1791 by Sir Roger Newdigate.

The Dining Room was designed by Keene and built 1769–1773 on the site of the original hall. It displays plaster fan vaulting with wall shafts; windows are treated as an aisle with Gothick-panelled arches. A very large fireplace features polygonal turrets with crocketed buttresses, a moulded arch, and a row of triangular canopied niches with cresting. Tall elaborate canopied niches above the fireplace and in the walls contain casts of Roman statues. The east wall displays a Gothic-panelled recess with a Classical relief. Gothic-panelled doors and doorcases feature triple canopies and pinnacles.

The Drawing Room, designed by Keene and completed 1762–1763, contains Gothick plaster panelling with inset portraits, a segmental Gothic plasterwork vault, and a fan vault in the bay window. The chimney-piece, carved in 1764 by Richard Hayward of Weston Hall, takes inspiration from the monument of Aymer de Vallance in Westminster Abbey.

The Saloon, Little Sitting Room, and School Room (Chaplain's Room) were all decorated under the direction of Couchman. The Saloon (1786–1794), probably from designs by Keene, features vaulting and pendants inspired by Henry VII's chapel. Scagliola columns and Gothic capitals were supplied by Joseph Alcott in 1797. The Little Sitting Room retains a marble fireplace of around 1740 with an eared architrave. The School Room contains a Gothick fireplace with an ogee arch, inset with Classical medallions probably carved by Hayward.

The Long Gallery on the first floor contains a stone fireplace dating to around 1580. Panelling, and possibly the painted wooden overmantel with columns and obelisks, date to around 1606. A shallow Gothic plaster vault and large moulded arch to the lobby were added in 1787.

The house was constructed on the site of a monastery.