Baddesley Clinton House And Bridge Over Moat

Baddesley Clinton House and Bridge Over Moat

A manor house of late 15th-century date, built on an earlier site, with the south-east range refronted around 1736. A late 19th-century service wing was added to the north-east side of the south-west range, designed and built by Edward Heneage Dering.

The building is arranged around a courtyard plan. The north-east range is constructed of stone ashlar with old brick flues and a bridge-end stack to the right featuring an octagonal brick flue. It is two storeys with six windows. A gatehouse is positioned at the right of centre, with a four-centred outer archway enclosing a four-centred doorway with spandrels. The inner doorway has a panelled and studded door. A six-light stone mullion and transom window lights the first floor. The gatehouse has a battlemented parapet. The remaining windows of this range comprise a two-light stone mullion window with four-centred arched heads at left of centre, a three-light stone mullion window with four-centred arched heads to its right, a five-light stone mullion window to the left of centre, and two three-light stone mullion windows with flat stone arches having keystones further to the left. A continuous hoodmould runs across the right side and to the left of centre. The first floor has a four-light stone mullion window to the right, a three-light stone mullion window right of centre, a four-light stone mullion window left of centre, and two three-light stone mullion windows to the left.

The south-east range is built of red brick with an old plain-tile roof and various brick stacks with octagonal or diagonally-set brick flues. It is two storeys with four windows and features irregular fenestration, mostly of 18th-century three-light wood casements with segmental brick heads.

The south-west range is stone ashlar with an old plain-tile roof and various brick stacks. It is two storeys with six windows and has mostly three-light stone mullion windows with irregular fenestration. A single-storey addition to the centre has a hipped old plain-tile roof and two round-arched blind recesses facing the moat, with a wood casement window to the ground floor. The courtyard elevation has irregular fenestration.

Interior: The entrance hall features close-studded timber-framing to the walls. The great hall contains a stone fireplace with decorative pillars supporting a frieze and atlantes flanking a rectangular panel with a round heraldic central panel surrounded by strapwork. The dining room retains late 16th-century panelling and a carved wood fireplace with pillars supporting a frieze and a richly carved central heraldic panel. The drawing room has 17th-century panelling and a chimney piece installed in the 18th century. Henry Ferrers' Bedroom, also known as the state bedroom, features panelling and a chimney-piece of around 1629. Other rooms throughout the house also have panelling and carved chimney pieces.

The bridge over the moat dates to the early 18th century and is constructed of red brick with two round arches and a plain brick parapet.

History: The site was originally held by the Clinton family before being purchased by John Brome in 1438. It remained in the Brome family's hands and passed by inheritance to the Ferrers family in 1517. Henry Ferrers (1549–1633) undertook considerable work on the house.