Neston Park

Neston Park is a country house built around 1800 for J. Fuller, substantially extended in 1807, circa 1835–40, 1862, and 1875. It is constructed in ashlar with slate low-pitched roofs, arranged as an 'L'-plan main house with extensive service and stable additions to the rear. The building comprises a basement and two storeys to the front elevation, with three storeys to the rear service range.

The main south front was originally illustrated in 1805 as a composition of 2–1–2 bays with an east end bow, angle Corinthian pilasters, and attached Corinthian columns framing the centre bay, plus a further 2 bays to the left with an angle pilaster. The present main front displays 2–3–3 bays with an east end bow, angle Corinthian pilasters, and a large projecting four-column Corinthian portico with pilaster responds. This portico was added in 1862 by contractor P. Pictor, so that the original main entry is now within the right bay of the portico. The front elevation features a rusticated basement, a sill-course under the ground floor windows, a band, and a moulded cornice with fluted frieze and parapet. Windows are set within flush unmoulded surrounds, with full-length windows to the ground floor. The portico contains 19th-century plate glass sashes and French windows. The entrance bay within the portico preserves the arrangement illustrated in 1805: an upper tripartite window over an arched doorway with a traceried fanlight, a six-panel door, and side-lights with panelled dividing stone piers and lintel.

The east end features a three-window full-height bow with a three-window range to the right, possibly added circa 1830–40 when the stair-hall was created. The upper sashes and cornice moulding match those on the main front. The ground floor is obscured by a large projecting single-storey billiard room added in 1875 by E. Habershon, constructed in ashlar with Corinthian pilasters, cornice, and parapet. Its south front contains four windows with moulded architraves and one French window with balustraded stone steps. The east end is more ornate, with a projecting pediment over the centre window and arched niches flanking.

The west front is a plain two-storey, six-window range with a band, cornice, and parapet matching the main front but without rusticated basement. The second and fourth bays project slightly, while the centre and angles feature plain pilaster strips. A rainwater head dated 1807 is located at the north end.

Projecting to the north and west is a six-bay ashlar conservatory added in 1866, with five arched windows to the south, one bay return linking to the north end of the west front, and a three-bay west end with a centre doorway. It features panelled pilasters, moulded arches with keystones, cornice, and blocking course.

Behind the west front stands a three-storey service wing from circa 1875 with a north entry and a west gabled bellcote. Behind the west front, facing east, is a three-storey, four-window range with a frieze, cornice, parapet, floor bands, and four-pane sashes, with one-window ranges returning to left and right. To the east extends a long 'L'-plan coach-house and stable range: the first section is two-storey with seven windows, cornice, and parapet, its ground floor incorporating four rusticated elliptical arches with imposts and keys, apparently earlier than the upper floor. A two-window section projects to the left, and beyond extends a single-storey 'L'-plan range with a slate roof dated 1841. The south front of the stable range has an elliptical carriage arch at each end and two small-paned windows, one with a dormer gable. The west front has two windows flanking a door and a south end tower with paired arches to the top stage and Jacobean-style cross gables.

The interior features a 'T'-plan double-height hall cut through the front range, opening to a broad rear stair-hall with an imperial staircase rising to a gallery supported on marbled Corinthian columns, with wrought-iron stair and gallery rails and ornate plasterwork. This was probably created circa 1830–40. The library to the east of the entrance retains an early 19th-century plaster frieze and a green and white marble fireplace reset from the room west of the entrance, now the kitchen. At the west end is an ornate and unaltered rococo-revival drawing room of 1836 with gilded plasterwork to the walls, an ornate plaster ceiling, and a fine white marble fireplace. The dining room to the north in the 1807 range has a plaster frieze and triple arcade at the north end with marbled pilasters and an elliptical central arch; its decoration is possibly also from circa 1830–40. The 1875 billiard room at the east end has a high coved ceiling and an elaborate stone fireplace.

The estate was built up by T. Tropenell in the 15th century, subsequently passing to the Eyre family and in 1692 to the Hanham family, who sold it around 1790 to J. Fuller (died 1839). He was succeeded by J.B. Fuller (died 1872) and G.P. Fuller (died 1927).