Easton Neston House, And Attached Wing

Easton Neston House, and Attached Wing

Country house built between circa 1685 and 1695 for Sir William Fermor, who was created Baron Lempster in 1692. The design was probably made by the office of Sir Christopher Wren and was executed under the direction of Nicolas Hawksmoor, who modified the exterior around 1700-02. The interior remained unfinished at the death of Lord Lempster in 1711.

The main house is constructed of Helmdon stone limestone ashlar with lead roofs and stone internal stacks. It follows a double-pile plan with a central cross passage and is executed in the English Baroque style. The building comprises two storeys and a basement, with a nine-window range.

The west entrance front has a central pair of eight-panel double-leaf doors with a fanlight, set within a stone surround with a round-arched head, keyblock and imposts. Above this on the first floor is a similar window with the same surround. The remaining openings are 40-pane sash windows to the ground and first floors, each with moulded eared stone surrounds. The elevation is articulated with a giant order of composite pilasters and columns, the latter flanking the central bay and pilasters defining the other bays. The basement features channelled rustication with segmental-headed, keyblocked windows. The entrance is approached by a double-armed outer staircase with intermediate landings on either side, wrought-iron balustrade, and a window below the central landing with stone lintel and keyblock. The end bays break forward slightly, the five-bay centre breaks forward slightly further, and the central bay has a pronounced break-forward. A full entablature runs across, with a plain frieze except to the central bay which bears the Fermor motto HORA E SEMPRE. A segmental-arched pediment crowns the facade, framing the family coat of arms. A balustraded parapet runs above, with piers bearing urns above the pilasters, except for a pair of lions facing inwards above the inner pilasters at either end.

The east garden front has a similar composition, with pilasters throughout and the balustrade continued over the central bay, whose frieze is inscribed AD SAL MOCCII.

The north side elevation comprises seven bays. A central ground floor window matches those of the main fronts. Above is a very large round-arched window lighting the staircase. Giant pilasters flank the centre with sections of entablature either side of the staircase window head and an open pediment. The bays at either end have round-arched windows to the ground floor with segmental hoods, and first floor windows similar to those of the main fronts but with pediments. The intervening bays have mezzanine storeys with pairs of 18-pane sashes to the ground and first floors, square mezzanine windows above the ground floor windows, and windows with segmental-arched heads above the first floor windows—all with moulded stone surrounds. Lead rainwater pipes between these windows are dated 1702. Pilasters flank either end with sections of entablature, a continuous cornice runs across, and a balustraded parapet crowns the elevation.

A single-storey brick quadrant corridor at ground floor level on the far right joins the house to the surviving wing and attached buildings. This corridor has round-arched window heads with keyblocks.

The south side elevation has five bays with similar articulation. Sash windows to the ground floor match those of the main fronts, while the first floor has 18-pane windows and the attic has windows with segmental-arched heads—all with moulded eared stone surrounds.

The wing, originally one of a pair flanking the forecourt, is constructed of brick with stone dressings and a hipped slate roof. It is one storey and attic in height, with a nine-window range. The central bay is faced in ashlar and is pedimented, containing a large door with moulded stone surround and segmental pediment on brackets, flanked by chamfered quoins at the angles. Tall leaded wood mullion and transom windows with moulded stone surrounds are featured throughout, with hipped roof dormers. An L-plan attached building to the rear left, now a boiler house, has a large limestone Tudor rose and coat of arms incorporated in the brickwork, probably from an earlier house. A similar wing of the same character stands to the rear right.

The interior retains exceptional features from the Baroque period. The double-height hall was subdivided horizontally around 1900 but retains a chimneypiece by William Kent and stone Corinthian columns. A stone cantilever staircase rises in two long flights with intermediate landings, featuring a fine wrought-iron balustrade with interlinking Ls for Lempster. Stone niches for statues and grisaille wall-paintings by Sir James Thornhill depicting the Triumph of Diocletian are present. Several secondary staircases of wood with turned balusters are also found.

The Drawing Room, formerly the Dining Room, contains fine plasterwork frames to large hunting paintings by Snyders and Hondius, and a plaster ceiling depicting Venus and Adonis, dated circa 1730-40 and attributed to Charles Stanley. A black and white marble chimneypiece by William Kent is also present.

The first floor gallery above the cross passage features fielded panelling and a large niche flanked by Corinthian pilasters with a plain barrel-vaulted ceiling. Fine carved cornices ornament several of the larger rooms upstairs. One room has a corner fireplace with a veined marble bolection-moulded fireplace surround and a stepped chimneybreast designed for displaying china. Original chimneypieces, mostly bolection-moulded, are found in the mezzanine rooms.

The stone-vaulted basement contains a former servants hall and kitchen. The former displays a painted stone relief of the Wheel of Fortune, while the latter has a groin-vaulted ceiling of three bays, supported by elliptical arches that span the room.

The hall and staircase were designed as a setting for some of the Arundel marbles purchased by Lord Lempster in 1691, which were subsequently presented to the University of Oxford by the 2nd Countess of Pomfret in 1755.

The house has been the seat of the Fermor-Heskeths. The associated park and gardens are separately registered at Grade II*.