Boughton House

Boughton House is a great house of early 16th-century origin, significantly altered and extended in the late 17th century for Ralph, 1st Duke of Montagu. It is constructed of limestone ashlar, with areas of squared stone, coursed rubble, and red brick to the rear and internal courtyard faces. The roofs are covered in Collyweston stone slate, with numerous moulded stone stacks. The house is planned around several courtyards, with a north range in a French style, designed as a half-H shape.

The north range is two storeys and an attic, with mansard roofs. The main block is nine windows wide, with wings four windows deep, and ends three windows wide. The basement and ground floor have banded rustication, while above this are plain pilasters that support a full entablature with a deep eaves cornice. The main block features an arcaded loggia containing round-headed, panelled double doors at the centre and ends, alongside eight round windows. The first floor has sash windows with nine panes to each, set in plain raised architraves. The attic has two-light, leaded casement dormers, with alternating segmental and triangular pediments. The wings have segment-headed basement windows, many of which are blind, and dormers similar to those on the main block.

The west front has a long, two-storey range that steps forward and features a moulded string course above the ground and first floors, topped by a crowning balustrade. Windows are mostly cross casements with glazing bars. There are four sets of French windows with round heads, and two double doors with overlights. The east range, two storeys and an attic, is seven windows wide, with a band marking the division between the storeys. It has leaded cross casement windows with gauged heads and keystones to the ground floor, and raised plain architraves to the first floor. There are six pedimented dormers. A rainwater head dated 1704 is located in the angle. A recessed block, two windows wide, links the east range to the north-east wing and provides access via a flight of steps to French windows.

The early 16th-century great hall, located behind the north range, retains a collar and tie beam roof with queen posts and wind braces. This is partially concealed by a painted ceiling by Louis Cheron depicting the marriage of Hercules and Hebe. A single 16th-century doorway with a four-centred head and carved spandrels also remains. Numerous mid-16th-century chimney pieces are present within the house, mostly reset, but the interior is predominantly late 17th and early 18th century in character. Many rooms are panelled, and several have ceilings painted by Cheron, who also decorated the main staircase hall, located west of the loggia. The stone main staircase, leading to the state apartments on the first floor of the north range, features an elaborate wrought-iron balustrade. The interior of the north-east wing was never completed and now houses a late-18th-century Chinese style tea tent relocated from Montagu House in London.