Lawford Hall

Lawford Hall is a large house of Grade I importance, said to have been built around 1580 to 1583 for the Waldegrave family, possibly on the site of an earlier structure with subsequent alterations and additions. The building is timber-framed and plastered, though the south front was substantially altered around 1756 by Edward Green, who added a red brick facade. The roofs are of red plain tiles, with the north and south gables and the two north stair turrets having hipped ends.

The house is planned on a half H-pattern with long wings extending north and breaking forward to the south. The building rises to two and three storeys with attics. Chimney stacks are a distinctive feature: tall external octagonal shafts with offset and moulded bases project from the building, with moulded capping to the south-east and south-west walls. The north wall of the central range carries an external stack with three attached diagonal shafts. A similar three-shafted stack crosses the ridge of the eastern wing, whilst the western wing has a plain stack in a comparable position. Additional plain stacks stand at the rear of the eastern stair turret and to the western side of the central range, with a further external north-east stack.

The south front, refaced with red brick in the 18th century, presents a formal composition. The two-storey facade with attics features a parapet and moulded band that extends through to the crosswing returns and chimney stacks. Stone ball finials crown the angles of the crosswings. The window arrangement is of 2:1:3:1:2 bays, with the central three bays breaking forward. These bays are topped by a moulded pediment that breaks through the parapet and features a semi-circular lunette. The other windows are small-paned vertically sliding sashes with gauged brick arches. The central pedimented doorcase, also moulded, is flanked by scroll brackets and features a part-glazed door.

The north face of the central range displays a flat-roofed ground-floor extension set between the two stair turrets. The eastern turret contains upper and central four-light mullion windows above a lower three-light mullion window. The western turret has an upper four-light mullion window and a lower large cross-transomed five-light window. The ground floor presents four small-paned vertically sliding sash windows with a central door surrounded by moulded trim, carved swags, and a moulded frieze, topped by a moulded broken pediment on moulded scroll brackets. To the left of the chimney stack above the door is a small-paned vertically sliding sash window. To the right of the stack, red brickwork features a round-headed niche and six small openings arranged in a triangular pattern. Moulded eaves cornices to the north, east and west faces are supported by ornate cast iron brackets.

The eastern crosswing rises to three storeys and attics on the north and west, but only two storeys and attics at the south ends, with dormers facing into the courtyard. A jetty projects to the north at second-floor level, supported on end carved braces and a moulded bressumer. The ground floor is of 16th-century red brick, with a chamfered brick window containing a six-light moulded wood mullion to the north face. The base of the north-eastern chimney stack is of matching brick. The north face features two small-paned vertically sliding sashes on the second floor and a three-light cross-transom window to the first floor. The east face of the eastern crosswing has two attached gabled extensions of different heights facing east, each containing a single window range; the southern extension features an angled oriel. A small gabled dormer to the south-east overlooks seven upper, six central and three lower windows, mostly small-paned vertically sliding sashes or vari-light cross-transoms, some of which are original. A vertically boarded door with a fanlight above opens to the south-east. The western face of the eastern crosswing carries three upper and central windows of various designs.

The western wing's west face was cased in brick at the same time as the south front was refaced and is symmetrical, with chimney stacks projecting at each end and a parapet crowned with ball finials. A six-window range of small-paned vertically sliding sashes lights this elevation. The east face of the western wing has two flat-headed dormers and a four-window range of small-paned vertically sliding sashes, with a vertically boarded door opening to the north. The north face of the crosswing is jettied at upper floor level, supported on end brackets, and lit by three small-paned vertically sliding sash windows. Below the jetty sits an original window of five lights with moulded mullions and transom. Low cast iron railings with ornate scrollwork posts and a gate enclose the garden to the east.

The interior was not inspected at the time of re-survey but is reported to contain a number of original features and many of the characteristics of great hall houses, including a fine hall with walls divided by pilasters, some 17th-century panelling, and an original doorway with moulded frame. The building also contains re-set 15th and 16th-century stained glass roundels and shields.