Chicheley Hall

Chicheley Hall is a country house built between 1719 and 1721 for Sir John Chester, designed by Francis Smith, with a design attributed to Thomas Archer. It is constructed of red brick with extensive stone detailing. The roof is lead, concealed behind parapets, with panelled brick chimneys that have stone cornices. The house is two storeys high, with a semi-basement and a high attic above the main cornice.

The south front has nine bays, featuring fluted Corinthian giant pilasters at the corners and between the second and third bays. Above the main cornice, the front sweeps up in curves around the three-bay centre with intricately carved friezes. Giant pilasters rise on tall plinths. The central doorway has a surround of fluted pilasters, a cornice, and a segmental pediment supported by reversed, curving sections. The sash windows have stone architrave surrounds, keyblocks, and gauged brick aprons; those in the central section have semicircular arched heads. The attic storey presents panelled pilasters above the main order, supporting a small frieze and cornice at the head of the parapet.

The east front has seven bays with Doric giant pilasters at the corners and flanking the central three bays. The central doorway is framed by an architrave surround and a broken pediment with a central roundel. A central attic window has an arched head. The north front features projecting three-bay wings on either side, each with gauged brick giant pilasters and arched shell niches to the central bays, containing statues on both the ground and first floors. A recessed four-bay centre includes two tall staircase windows with semicircular arched heads. The west front displays five irregular bays with brick pilasters on each side, and an arched staircase window to the right, breaking through the cornice. A modern glazed porch has been added.

Inside, the Entrance Hall has a Corinthian surround to the front door and a triple arched screen with marble columns leading to the staircase, reputedly designed by Flitcroft while working for Kent. A ceiling painting is attributed to Kent. A fine staircase and three-panelled rooms on the east front feature Corinthian pilasters flanking fireplaces. One first-floor room has a Jacobean overmantel, potentially from an earlier house. The attic contains Sir John Chester's 'secret' Library, with shelves concealed behind doors disguised as panelling.

The house's garden setting, along with its auxiliary buildings, is largely contemporary, designed by George London. This includes the southern avenue approach, the south forecourt, a formal water garden on the east side, and a wall garden on the north side.