Bulwick Hall And Attached Entrance Loggia And Garden Room

Bulwick Hall is a country house of 1676, substantially remodelled around 1730, enlarged in 1805 by W.D. Legg of Stamford, and further modified in 1838. Built for James Tryon (with the 1676 datestone marking a rebuild of an earlier house), it was later remodelled for Charles Tryon and then enlarged for Thomas Tryon. The building is constructed in limestone ashlar and rendered limestone with Collyweston and Welsh slate roofs.

The hall follows a double-depth L-shaped plan and rises to two storeys with attic accommodation. The main front presents a 12-window range of sash windows with glazing bars and moulded stone architraves. The fourth bay from the left contains a doorway with a Gibbs surround, 6-panel door, and rectangular fanlight with diagonal glazing bars. A similar door at the far right, with moulded stone surround, provides access from the entrance loggia. The elevation features a plain plinth and raised band between floors. Four roof dormers with sash windows pierce the hipped roof, which has ashlar chimneys rising from the centre valley. The main front was remodelled around 1730; the eight windows to the right retain evidence of transoms outside the 18th-century architrave, and Tryon arms appear above the door to the right.

A bay attached to the far left of the main front dates to around 1805. It has a shallow bow front with three curved sash windows with glazing bars and sunk panels below the cills. The roof is hipped behind a cornice with a low parapet.

An entrance loggia is attached at right angles to the far right. It comprises seven bays of segmental arches with keyblocks and rusticated surrounds. Each pier has a moulded plinth, and a moulded cornice above carries an open balustrade with turned balusters. The rear wall of the loggia features a central arch-head entrance doorway flanked by small arch-head doorways and arch-head niches. A datestone of 1676 appears on the centre keyblock. The entrance front of the loggia has three central bays breaking forward in horizontally channelled ashlar. A central carriage arch with segmental head and bolection-moulded panel doors is flanked by Tuscan pilasters and blocked windows with moulded architraves and cornices. To the south of the carriage arch is a small spy hole. The walls flanking the centre three bays are rendered, and the moulded keyblock above the carriage arch bears the datestone 1676.

A garden room is attached to the right of the loggia, probably dating from the 1730 remodelling. It is single-storey with a two-window range of sash windows bearing moulded cornices similar to the main house. The roof is concealed behind a plain parapet. The elevation to the right has French doors with moulded stone architraves.

The end elevation of the main front to the right is a two-window range of two-light stone mullion windows with transoms. The bay to the left dates to 1676 and the bay to the right is 19th-century.

The rear elevation has wings breaking forward to the left of centre and to the far right, with 19th-century two- and three-light stone mullion windows, some with transoms. The gable to the far right is rendered and was truncated in the mid-20th century.

Internally, the entrance hall to the far right of the main front has a plaster ribbed ceiling probably of 1838. The Dining Room to the left contains a reset grey marble fire surround with a wooden outer surround enriched with leaf decoration. The Library, to the left of the Dining Room, has an orange marble fireplace with fluted pilasters and a secret door giving access to the Dining Room.

The Staircase Hall to the left of the Library contains an early 18th-century staircase with stick balustrade and scroll brackets rising around an open well. The plaster ceiling, probably of 1809 by John Tillson of Stamford, has a foliage centre set within an octagon enriched with a Greek fret.

The Ante-Room to the left of the Staircase Hall has an early 19th-century marble fireplace with reeded surround and flanking arch-head recesses. The Drawing Room to the far left dates to 1805–6 by Legg and has late 20th-century rural wall paintings.

A cellar doorway behind the Staircase Hall has a chamfered surround and may date to the 16th century. A two-light stone mullion window is said to exist in the cellar, and a similar reset window with arch-head lights exists in the service range. First-floor rooms are said to have early 18th-century fireplaces, and the attic room is said to contain reset 18th-century panelling. The garden room has a reset rib fireplace with pairs of decorated columns and central crest, and panelled walls. Two small rooms flank the main carriage arch and were formerly used as entrance lodges.

Moses Tryon purchased Bulwick Manor in 1617, and he also owned Harringworth Manor, which was then the principal Tryon residence. Bulwick Hall became the family's principal residence in the early to mid-18th century and subsequently passed by marriage to the Conant family. Some service buildings were removed in the mid-20th century.