Castle Hill House

Castle Hill House is a country house situated in a landscaped park. The building represents a dated rebuilding of a late Tudor house in 1684, considerably enlarged and remodelled around 1730 by Roger Morris. It was extended in 1841 and 1862, reputedly by Edward Blore. A disastrous fire in 1934 almost entirely gutted the interior of the main range, which was subsequently reconstructed with some alterations to the plan by an architect to the Duke of Wellington.

The house is constructed in ashlar joint-lined stucco on stone rubble with ashlar dressings. It has a slate roof, hipped to the projecting wings of the main range and flanking wings. The centre range has rebuilt rendered stacks, while the flanking wings have ridge stacks with recessed panelled sides and moulded caps.

The 1684 central block is basically rectangular but breaks forward at each end at the front and back, forming a shallow H-shaped plan. Around 1730 it was remodelled and flanking wings were added, set back and terminating in square pavilions in the Palladian manner. The central block originally contained a full-height saloon on the south garden front and a stair hall on the north entrance front. In 1841 and 1862, Edward Blore enlarged the house with a mansard roof and cupola over the centre block and added the near left-hand wing and service block enclosing a courtyard. After the 1934 fire, which gutted the centre block, the house was externally reinstated to its 1730 form, but the internal plan was altered and the saloon was floored.

The central range is two storeys in 2:5:2 bays, symmetrical. An octagonal cupola, reconstructed after the fire, is surmounted by a large ball finial and has lunettes to each face. Balustraded parapets with urns sit at the corners of the wings. A modillion cornice and moulded entablature run along the elevation. All windows have 12-paned sashes and moulded architraves, those to the ground floor featuring flat bracketed hoodmoulds. A shallow central portico with entablature, modillion cornice and pediment is supported on engaged Ionic columns and pilasters. The half-glazed door has a 2-panelled base and 6-paned overlight. Between the two wings is a raised terrace with a flight of three stone steps to a door flanked by dogs. Decorative rainwater heads sit in the angles. Window openings to the east and west sides of the wings to the central range are similarly treated to the garden front. Central doorways have sunken channelled pilasters and bracketed pediments.

Rear corner turrets have Vitruvian scroll platbands, blind parapets and stone panels with swag decoration above upper storey windows, with semi-circular headed ground floor windows with keystones.

The low flanking wings are each 3:3:3 bays, symmetrical, with the central rusticated 3 bays breaking forward slightly with pediments and platbands. A modillion cornice and entablature runs along the elevation, with ball finials at intervals along the low parapet. Roundel windows with moulded architraves appear in the upper storey of each end 3 bays—the left-hand (west) wing has recessed 6-paned sashes, whilst the east wing has radiating glazing bars with busts in front. The ground floor has 12-paned sashes with moulded architraves and keystones. Central pedimented bays contain 6 over 12-paned sashes with heavy keystones flanking a tall round-arched doorway with Diocletian overlight and a large door of two 5-panelled leaves to the west wing, replaced with half-glazed panelled doors to the east wing.

The corner pavilions have domed lead roofs surmounted by pineapple finials, modillion cornices and platbands. An 8-paned sash sits above a heavily vermiculated rusticated surround to a large round-arched doorway with a door of 2 panelled leaves. To the rear of the west wing corner pavilion, the rear courtyard facade is 9 bays with 6-panes above 12-pane sashes, terminating in another domed pavilion at its northern end.

The north entrance front of the main range has a portico rebuilt in the 1960s and a Venetian window over a pedimented doorway with 6-panelled door. A plaque to the left bears the inscription "Re-Edificat Per Arthur Fortescue AR AD 1684". An archway with rusticated quoins leads into the rear service courtyard. Adjoining the archway on the right is the deer slaughterhouse with all its fittings intact—an unusual survival.

All the principal rooms were reconstructed after the fire in 18th-century style. The front room to the projecting right-hand wing and the guest bedroom contain elaborately carved wood chimneypieces in the rococo style which escaped the fire.

Castle Hill has been occupied throughout its history by the Fortescue family. The principal remodelling and additions of around 1730 were carried out by Hugh, 1st Lord Fortescue, and the landscaping of the gardens by him and his successor Matthew, 2nd Lord Fortescue. This work was done by Roger Morris under the guidance of Lords Herbert and Burlington.