Shrubland Hall, Including Attached Screen Walling On East Side, And Terraces And Balustrading On South And West Sides

Shrubland Hall is a large country mansion built in three main stages. The first phase was constructed between 1770 and 1772 by James Paine for Reverend John Bacon. The building was then remodelled between 1830 and 1832 by Gandy Deering for Sir William Frederick Middleton, Baronet. A final phase of remodelling took place between 1849 and 1855 by Sir Charles Barry, also for Sir William Frederick Middleton, who additionally oversaw the design of the garden architecture.

The garden front facing west presents a central block by Paine of three storeys and five bays. Gandy Deering added three further bays on either side. The construction is of gault brick with dressings of limestone and stucco. The five centre bays are divided by giant Ionic pilasters supporting a moulded and dentilled cornice, open balustrading, and a large urn at each bay. The flanking ranges feature similar balustrading at a lower level, with the terminal bays set forward as stuccoed pavilions. To the left stands a service range dating to around 1851, set well back but with similar detailing and bearing the owner's achievement at parapet level. To the right is a massive Italianate tower of around 1850 with rusticated quoins and an open arcaded fourth-storey stage with parapets above, capped by ball finials.

Windows throughout have broad stuccoed architraves that are shouldered and eared, with various sashes and French windows, most carrying cornices on brackets.

The east entrance front is a limestone-faced remodelling by Gandy Deering with a grand entrance in the Baroque manner leading to the staircase hall. Detached Doric columns with vermiculated rusticated blocks support a bold moulded and dentilled cornice and open parapets. The arched doorway features a scrolled keystone and rusticated block voussoirs. A pair of three-panelled glazed entrance doors with coved and panelled stone surround is topped by a fanlight with radiating bars.

Flanking the entrance are a pair of single-storey three-bay wings with Doric columns and round-headed windows. Semi-elliptical screen walls of gault brick divided into bays by limestone piers with ball finials extend from these wings. At each end is a gateway with pairs of wrought iron gates and piers with rusticated quoins. The left-hand pair of gates is particularly fine, displaying rich wrought-iron foliage in the French manner.

A large conservatory was added to the south side between 1855 and 1856, comprising seven bays with an aisle supported on slender wrought iron columns.

The main internal spaces are located at first storey level. A drawing room features a fine gilded plaster ceiling in the Adam style by James Paine, and a similar ante-room adjoins it. A library displays a moulded plaster ceiling by Gandy Deering in Louis XV style, later extended into the tower. The ramped staircase block and coffered entrance hall are also by Gandy Deering.

Attached to the west side is an elevated terrace in white limestone. At the centre, an arch gives access to the ground storey behind, flanked by niches and four columns with frosted rusticated bands. The retaining wall has large fielded stone panels and open balustrading. At each end, flights of steps descend to the upper gun terrace, with a pair of urns at the head of each flight.

A lower terrace is attached to the conservatory on the south side, featuring limestone balustrading with square piers at bay intervals, capped by large enriched vases and urns of terracotta and limestone. At the centre is a divided flight of steps with a pool and fountain at the base.

The house is illustrated and described in Country Life Magazine, 19th November 1953, with the garden architecture described in the following issue.