Lamport Hall

Lamport Hall is a Grade I country house built over the 16th to 19th centuries by the Isham family. It was designed by architects J. Webb, W. Smith and Francis Smith of Warwick, W. Burn, H. Hakewill and A. Goddard. The house is constructed of limestone ashlar with a slate roof and follows a courtyard plan.

The building stands two storeys high with an attic storey. The main front presents a thirteen-window range. The central five bays, built by J. Webb around 1654–1657, project forward and feature rusticated ashlar with a dentilled cornice, balustraded parapet and a large raised pediment added in 1829. A central six-panelled door with moulded stone architraves is topped by alternate triangular and segmental bracketed pediments. Small square sash windows to the first floor have moulded stone surrounds. The flanking wings comprise four bays each: the left wing by Francis Smith of Warwick dates to around 1732, and the right wing by William Smith to around 1741. Both wings are in a similar style to the centre with sash windows and moulded stone eared architraves; those at ground floor level have a pulvinated frieze and cornice. Rusticated quoins, dentilled cornices and panelled parapets complete both wings. Blank basement openings and a shallow flight of steps lead to the central door. Above a first-floor window of the centre block is an inscription reading "In things transitory resteth no glory", added by Hakewill in 1829. Ashlar chimney stacks rise at the ridge and end walls.

The entrance facade to the left features a four-window range to the right, built by Francis Smith around 1732 in a style similar to the main facade. A large Tuscan porch by Burn is positioned to the left of this range. A five-window range occupies the centre, with a similar four-window range with half dormers to the left, also by Burn, added in 1861 to replace the remains of the 16th-century house. These ranges have sash windows, some with moulded stone surrounds. A short square tower to the left of centre features an open balustraded parapet.

The garden facade displays a projecting wing to the left by William Smith dating to around 1741, which has a blank arcade at ground level and blank windows at first floor similar in fenestration to the main front. The centre of the facade comprises a two-window range of sashes linked to the projecting wing by a Tuscan quadrant porch of 1819 by Hakewill. To the right are four- and two-window ranges in Jacobean style by H. Goddard, dated 1842, with two- and three-light stone mullions and transoms. The inner courtyard has been encroached upon by 19th-century additions.

The interior is notable for its sequence of well-appointed rooms. The entrance hall on the entrance facade leads to a vestibule that rises through two storeys and features galleries on two sides with an 18th-century turned balustrade. The vestibule's doorcase has fluted Corinthian columns. To the left of the entrance is the Dining Room, which dates to around 1861 and replaced the original great hall. To the right is the Library, built around 1734 by Francis Smith and featuring a marble fireplace and fluted Corinthian pilasters from that date, with bookcases added by Hakewill in 1819.

The staircase by the Smiths has two turned balustrades to each tread with carved ends. Originally a double flight, the landing balustrade incorporates carved panels from J. Webb's earlier staircase. A Rococo ceiling by J. Woolstone crowns the staircase. Armorial glass from Pytchley Old Hall is incorporated into the design.

The Oak Room to the right of the staircase is entered through a triple arcade and contains Jacobean panelling, reset from elsewhere in 1907. The Music Room, occupying the centre of the main front and rising to double height, was built by Webb and retains his original fireplace and overmantel, along with bolection panelling by Henry Jones dating to around 1685. The room was decorated by the Smiths in 1738 with plasterwork by J. Woolstone. A deep clerestory frieze features profiles of busts in oval frames alternating with trophies relating to the Isham family, each with inscriptions below. The flat coving plaster ceiling contains three relief panels depicting cherubs, mermaids, swans and foliage. The room is finished with a fine wood block floor.

The Cabinet Room to the right of the Music Room was built by W. Smith in 1742 and has a simple plaster ceiling with circular panels. The Drawing Room, positioned in the centre of the garden front and dating to around 1840, features a Rococo marble fireplace, panelled walls and plaster cornice. The Gothic Room, to the left of the Drawing Room, is panelled and has a marble fireplace. The first-floor landing has a triple arcade opening to the staircase. Several first-floor rooms retain fielded panelling and bolection-moulded fire surrounds. The 18th- and 19th-century service stairs have turned balusters.

The evolution of this house is well documented in the Isham family records. The house was listed on the 2nd of November 1954 and was subject to a minor amendment on the 13th of April 2020.