Remains Of Original House (New Place) At Gilston Park 125 Metres East Of House

The remains of an early 19th century porch, originally from New Place, survive as a garden feature within Gilston Park, located 125 metres east of the main house. The original house, New Place, was demolished and rebuilt around 1852 as Gilston Park, on a new site to the west, by Philip Hardwick for John Hodgson. The porch is constructed of reddish stucco, textured to resemble stone, over a core of sandy-red brick, and incorporates armorial decorations and a marble bust. Inside, fragments of a decorated plaster ceiling remain.

The approach to the porch is a small rectangular area accessed via three rough stone steps, and it faces south. Octagonal buttresses flank the front corners, rising to finials above the parapet. The front and back feature wide central arched openings with depressed 4-centred heads, the rear opening now blocked. Smaller square-headed windows are present on each side wall, and the rear corners are chamfered. The porch has a moulded plinth, string course, and parapet coping. A large coat of arms and motto scroll are set in relief high up on the rear wall. A moulded string course at the impost level is carried up as a dripmould over the front arch. The parapet is broken over a central round-headed niche containing a white stone bust of Elizabeth I on a later base. Below this, the date '1583' is inscribed, and the spandrels contain roundels of the old and new Royal Arms with the Garter, and motto. Inscribed across the front, above these, are the words "FEAR. GOD. OBAYE. THE. RIAL. QUEEN/Spaines Rod; Romes Rvine; Netherlandes Reliefe; Earthes joy, England's gemme, World's Wonder, Natvres Chieffe". The interior has diagonal chequered black and white marble paving and remnants of an ornamental plaster ceiling to the flat timber roof, panelled with Gothic square plaster motifs. This interesting early 19th century stucco ‘Tudor’ porch is now a garden building of group value alongside Gilston Park, built in 1852.