Gayton Manor House

House. Mid to late 16th century with 18th century extensions, restored in 1923. Built of coursed squared limestone with some ironstone, ironstone dressings, and a roof of mostly late 18th century plain tiles with part of the original stone slate roof retained on the lower edges. Brick lateral stacks and stone ridge stack.

The house is built to a cruciform plan orientated approximately on cardinal points, with two storeys and an attic. The south-facing front forms a symmetrical composition with three-storey gabled bay windows to the gable ends of the front and side wings. The bay windows are canted to the ground and first floors. The central bay window has three lights to the ground and first floors, two lights to the attic, with single lights to the sides and a two-light basement or cellar window. The central wing is flanked by two-storey porches set in the angles either side, each with a Tudor-arched door, a three-light window above the door and to the first floor with side-lights to the south, single-light windows to the ground floor sides, and plain stone-coped parapets. Three-light windows light the ground and first floors of the projecting wings facing south. The bay windows to the ends of the side wings have four lights to the ground and first floors with king mullions, three lights to the attic and side-lights. The east bay has a four-light cellar window with king mullion; the west bay, which lights the hall, has a larger ground floor window with transom to the front at the level of the sills of the side-lights and cutting the plinth. The rear wing, which houses the staircase, is slightly shorter and has no bay window. It features a door to the right with a wood lintel and straight hood on brackets, a two-light window to the left, a three-light mezzanine window, a pair of two-light windows to the first floor, and a three-light attic window. This wing is flanked by a two-storey 18th century lean-to extension to the right and a one-storey lean-to extension to the left, both with casement windows. All original windows have hollow-chamfered stone mullions and arched lights with cut spandrels, except for the chamfered mullions of the east wing cellar window. Original windows and doors have hood moulds. The plinth is moulded, and the gables are stone-coped with kneelers and ironstone quoins.

Interior. The hall has a large moulded Tudor-arched stone fireplace and moulded bar-stop-chamfered spine beams. A small gallery to the inner corner has turned balusters, believed formerly to have extended the full length of the inner end wall. The door to the stairs has a chamfered wood surround; the door to the porch has a moulded stone surround. The panelled drawing room has a Tudor-arched stone fireplace with cut spandrels and an ornamental wood surround with fluted pilasters, a carved panel, and overmantel. The panelling is divided into sections by fluted pilasters. Similar pilasters flank doors, which have straight hoods on console brackets; the door to the porch formerly had pedimental fretwork. The dog-leg staircase has turned balusters and octagonal newel posts with square finials. A secondary straight flight with serpentine splat balusters leads to the attic. The door to the drawing room has a Tudor-arched wood surround with the initials FBT on a shield in the left carved spandrel and a knot to the right spandrel. The door at the head of the stairs leading to the first floor has double-leaf doors with a horizontal oval in a quartered central rectangular panel to each leaf. The first floor lobby was originally open to the present bedroom opposite the stairs, which has a round wood pillar just within the present partition wall near the corners either side and stone corner fireplaces with Tudor-arched heads and cut spandrels either side of the front bay window. One fireplace appears to be a dummy for symmetry, with no flue. Similar larger fireplaces are located in the rooms either side of the lobby. Moulded stop-chamfered spine beams run through these spaces. The partition wall of the bedroom to the east occupies the original position. A stone cellar or basement opens off the inner end of the hall.

Historical context. The house was almost certainly built not as a manor house but as a lodge, perhaps with a detached kitchen. It was originally owned by the Tanfield family and was sold in 1607 by Sir Francis Tanfield. It is said to have been built in 1540 by Francis Tanfield, who died in 1558 and is buried with his wife Bridget in the church. The plan of the house is similar to that of Lyveden New Bield, but does not appear to have any religious significance.