Chicheley Hall

SP 94 NW CHICHELEY HALL LANE

3/17

3.3.52 Chicheley Hall

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GV I

Country House. 1719 - 21 for Sir John Chester Bt., built by Francis Smith, design attributed to Thomas Archer. Red brick with elaborate stone enrichments. Flat lead roof behind parapets, panelled brick chimneys with stone cornices. 2 storeys with semi-basement and high attic above main cornice. S. front of 9 bays with fluted corinthian giant pilasters at corners and between 2nd and 3rd bays, above which the cornice sweeps up in curves each side of the 3 bay centre, with elaborately carved frieze. and giant pilasters on tall plinths, Central door with surround of fluted pilasters, cornice and segmental pediment supported on reversed curving sections. Sash windowswith stone architrave surrounds, keyblocks and gauged brick aprons, those in central section with semicircular arched heads. Attic storey has panelled pilasters above main order, supporting small frieze and cornice at head of parapet. E. front of 7 bays with Doric giant pilasters at corners and flanking central 3 bays. Central door with architrave surround and broken pediment with central roundel. Central attic window has arched head. N. front has projecting 3 bay wings each side with gauged brick giant pilasters and arched shell niches to each central bay, with statues to ground and 1st floors. 4 bay recessed centre with 2 tall staircase windows with semicircular arched heads. W. Front of 5 irregular bays with brick pilasters each side, arched staircase window to right breaking through cornice. Modern glazed porch. Interior: Entrance Hall with Corinthian surround to front door and triple arched screen with marble columns leading to staircase, said to be designed by Flitcroft when workingfor Kent. Ceiling painting attributed to Kent. Fine staircase, and 3 panelled rooms on E. front with Corinthian pilasters flanking fireplaces, First floor room with Jacobean over mantel, perhaps from the earlier house. Attic contains Sir John Chester's 'secret' Library with shelves behind doors disguised as panelling. The garden setting of Chicheley Hall together with its auxiliary buildings listed below is largely contemporary, having been designed by George London, and includes the southern avenue approach, the south forecourt, the formal water garden on the east side and wall garden on the north side. See Country Life vol XVII p 594, LXXIX pp 482, 508,535 (Arthur Oswald) and Vol CLVII no 4050 pp 378-381 (Marcus Binney) Records of Bucks XVii 1961.

Listing NGR: SP9054545859