Wootton Hall

Wootton Hall is a country house, now converted to flats, in Wootton Wawen. It incorporates a late 16th-century house (to the west part) and was substantially enlarged and remodelled in 1687 for Francis, 2nd Lord Carrington and his second wife Lady Anne Herbert. The west facade was altered in the late 18th century, though further alterations are believed to date from around 1904. The roof was destroyed by fire in 1941 and was renewed in the 1970s, with some late 20th-century additions. The building is constructed of coursed Wilmscote stone with ashlar dressings and has a renewed slate roof.

The house is L-shaped in plan, though it has been internally altered. The garden facade presents 2 storeys with basement and attic dormers. The design is arranged in 9 bays (in groups of 3-3-3), with the centre portion projecting forward and crowned by a pediment. The angles are finished with quoins, and a roll-moulded plinth runs continuously around the house. Throughout, tall 6/6 sash windows are set in tooled, eared architraves with shoulders, central keystones and moulded sills. The ground-floor windows have pulvinated friezes and alternate triangular and segmental pediments; the first-floor windows are decorated with friezes. The central entrance consists of 4 steps leading to double part-glazed doors with an overlight. The doors are set in fielded panel reveals with a tooled, eared architrave crowned by a segmental pediment with acanthus corbel brackets. The basement features chamfered, segmental-arched openings with keystones; those to the right are equipped with plank shutters while those to the left are blocked. A continuous frieze with egg-and-dart moulding and an acanthus modillion cornice runs above, continuing around the pediment. The coat of arms is set within the pediment. Four 20th-century attic gables contain 3/6 sashes. The roof is a 20th-century hipped structure with central and rear stacks.

The left return elevation rises to 3 storeys with basement and attic dormers, arranged in 9 bays (4-1-4), with the centre bay projecting forward in ashlar. The central entrance is reached by 2 roll-edged steps and has a 20th-century glazed door in a double chamfered surround flanked by 2 fixed-light windows. The first and second floors feature a central giant Venetian window set in a tooled surround; the centre light is a 15-pane stained-glass window with margin lights, with stained-glass panels flanking it. Blind openings are positioned above the outer lights. The ground and first floors have 6/6 sashes, many with thick glazing bars; the second floor has predominantly 6/3 sashes with thick glazing bars, plus one 9-pane fixed light. All windows are set in tooled, eared surrounds with shoulders and moulded sills; those to the ground and first floors have moulded cornices with friezes interrupted by central keystones.

The right return consists of 2 storeys with attic dormers and 3 first-floor windows. An entrance at the right end is reached by a flight of 5 steps (4 with roll-moulded edges) flanked by a solid ashlar balustrade. The entrance door is a 20th-century glazed double door with overlight, set in a tooled, eared and shouldered surround with pulvinated frieze interrupted by a central keystone, and a pediment. The 9/9 sashes are set in tooled, eared architraves with shoulders, friezes interrupted by central keystones and moulded sills. A first-floor band and plain frieze run across this elevation. One attic dormer matches those on the garden facade.

The rear return rises to 2 storeys with basement and attic dormers. A full-height staircase window and 4 first-floor windows are present. The staircase window features stained glass and is set in a tooled, eared architrave with shoulders, frieze, central keystone and moulded sill. Otherwise, 9/9 sashes with similar architraves are used throughout. A first-floor band and continuous band above the windows run across the elevation. The basement windows are blocked, and the attics follow the pattern established elsewhere.

The interior contains significant late 17th-century features. The south-west room has bolection-moulded panelling. The south-east room, now partitioned, retains remains of deep coving with ornamentation. The south room has a bolection-moulded fireplace. A front open-well staircase was inserted in 1904 by Mr Brettell, a builder from Wootton Wawen, for Mr Hughes. An oak back dog-leg staircase dates from around 1687 and is fitted with rod-on-vase balusters. The rear dining room contains 2 bolection-moulded fireplaces and the remains of late 17th-century bolection-moulded panelling and wainscoting, with overdoor frames elaborated with acanthus carving. Many panels were replaced in the early 20th century. Deep coving and 6-panel doors with shutters are also present. On the first floor, the south-west room contains an austere grey and white marble Neo-Classical fireplace with an ogee-arched moulding on fluted Ionic pilasters for a bed alcove (now blocked in), and panelling. The west wing rooms are arranged as suites, now slightly rearranged. This part of the house retains late 16th-century panelling and wainscoting, deep cornices, and bolection-moulded fireplaces, one of which features a brass inset dating from around 1900 with a wren and peacock design. Three-panel doors with HL-hinges are present throughout.

The house is reputed to have contained 2 priest's rooms communicating via a staircase built within the wall thickness, visible from first-floor level. This staircase is said to survive from cellar to attic. The cellars include a through passage and 2 tunnels. Maria Fitzherbert, the morganatic wife of George IV, lived at the house.

Historically, Wootton Hall was owned by Catholic recusant families including the Carringtons, Holfords and Smythes. It is believed to have functioned as a centre for Catholic worship during the period of recusancy, with a chapel in the dining room; the west wing may have served as accommodation for priests.

All the listed items on the Wootton Hall Estate (Wootton Park) form a group. Wootton Hall also forms a group with the Church of St Peter.