Sholebroke Lodge

WHITTLEBURY SP64SE 7/115 Sholebroke Lodge

GV II

Country house. c.1807, probably by James Morgan for Honorable Charles Fitzroy, extended mid C19. Probably brick with unpainted rendering incised with masonry patterns, hipped slate roofs, rendered internal stacks. L-plan, extended round inner hall. 3-storey, 6-window range. Principal front to south has glazed garden door to left of centre, a plate glass sash window to right. 3-bay bow rising full height to far left, with tall 12-pane sashes to ground floor, a projecting bay to far right with tripartite sash window to ground floor, 12-pane sashes to first floor, 6-pane sashes to attic floor. Plinth and deep bracketted eaves. Left garden elevation has tripartite sash windows to ground floor, one in single-storey bay window. Entrance front to north has single-storey porch with round-headed doorway with imposts, 4-panel double-leaf doors, overlight and keyblock and moulded timber eaves and pediment. 2-storey service range to left of porch with clerestory windows lighting inner hall behind. Interior has impressive top-lit inner staircase hall with cantilevered timber stair rising round sides, with turned balusters. Some original veined grey marble chimneypieces. Formerly residence of deputy warden or lieutenant of the Whittlebury Forest. James Morgan was John Nash's assistant as architect to the Department of Woods and Forests. He exibited at the Royal Academy in 1807 his 'Design for rebuilding Sholebroke Lodge, Whittlebury Forest'. This house was rebuilt at this time and an attribution to Morgan seems likely. (H. Calvin, 'A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects', 1978, p.557).

Listing NGR: SP6982344435