Melford Hall

THE GREEN EAST 1. 5377 Long Melford Melford Hall (formerly listed as Melford Hall and Octagon) TL 8646 20/414 10.1.53. I GV

1. A fine red brick moated mansion standing in a park of about 132 acres. It was built in 1559 by William Cordell, Solicitor General and Master of the Rolls. Queen Elizabeth I visited the house in 1578 and during the wars of the Commonwealth, when it was owned by the Countess of Rivers it was extensively sacked. Considerable work was done during the C18 and later (1813). It is at present owned by Sir William Hyde-Parker. The house is built on 3 sides of a courtyard open to the east. (A plan by John Thorpe at the Soane Museum shows it with an enclosed courtyard). The west front has 3 storeyed outer blocks with towers on the inner corners and a 3-storeyed centre block, built as if it was a gatehouse flanked by smaller towers. The spaces between the towers were originally recessed but were built out with 2 storeyed blocks in 1813. The towers have 2 storeyed square bases broached to form octagonal towers above, surmounted by ogee shaped domes with iron finials. The base of the dome has semi-circular arches with ornamentation and the upper stage of the tower has 8 square windows with leaded lights. The face of the towers have small square windows with stone surrounds and leaded lights. The windows are Georgian double-hung sashes with glazing bars, in stone surrounds. The north and south wings, extending to the east have massive towers similar in design to those on the west front. They are built on the inner faces of the wings not quite at the east end. The east front of the main block has a central 2 storeyed porch, stone fronted with a central semi-circular arched doorway flanked by superimposed Doric and Ionic fluted pilasters with a cornice surmounted by a semi-circular shell ornamented centre piece. The 1st storey (Georgian) window has a pediment. The classical composition is unusual for the period of its building. The windows on this front are 2 and 3 light stone mullioned and mullioned and transomed windows with leaded lights. Those on the side wings are double-hung sashes with glazing bars except on the east ends which have 4-light stone mullioned and transomed windows with leaded lights. The windows generally have square label moulds. The roofs are tiled, behind parapets and the east ends of the wings have stopped gables. There are many chimney stacks with octagonal grouped shafts. The long gallery survives on the upper storey but little remains of the Elizabethan interior. There are good C18 and early C19 features including the hall fireplace of circa 1730, a monumental staircase of 1813 and a library with apsidal ends also of 1813. The Drawing Room has a fine Rococo fireplace.

Listing NGR: TL8665146181