Hazlewood Castle

Hazlewood Castle, now a Carmelite monastery, has its origins in the late 13th century, with a licence to crenellate being granted to William Vavasour in 1286. Subsequent additions and alterations occurred in at least three phases, including a 15th-century tower and interior refurbishment around 1760, attributed to John Carr. Further restoration and rebuilding took place around 1960 for Donald Hart and in the 1980s for the Carmelite Friars. The castle is constructed of dressed magnesian limestone, with some concrete additions, and has a concealed roof of Welsh slate and lead. Approximately H-shaped on plan, it is two storeys and a basement high, with five bays arranged 2:2:5:2:2, where bays 2 and 4 project forward. A chamfered plinth is present. A flight of steps with decorative ironwork balustrade leads to the main entrance, featuring a double door with eight fielded panels and a patterned overlight, set within a door-case with replaced Roman Doric columns, a fluted frieze, and a dentilled pediment. A secondary entrance at the rear features pointed, traceried double oak doors, brought from Eaton Old Hall around 1960. Modern casement windows are prevalent throughout, though evidence of earlier mullioned windows remains. Crenellations, some renewed, are present. Ridge and rear stacks are visible. On the west side are the remains of slit windows, while to the north, evidence suggests three late 17th or early 18th century windows with hood-moulds and sills once existed. One window on the tower, originally a two-light, straight-headed design with moulded spandrels, is partially blocked by later rebuilding. An internal window, likely from the late 13th century, is exposed to the rear wall of the Great Hall, displaying a two-light opening within a cavetto-moulded, shouldered arch, set within a depressed, chamfered, pointed-arched recess. Remains of a probable early 14th century newel staircase are located at the rear of the Great Hall. Neo-classical rooms include the Great Hall, featuring a Greek Doric colonnade, round arcaded niches, and a marble fireplace; a circular ante-room; a staircase hall with a cantilevered staircase and cast-iron balustrade and wreathed handrail; a drawing room and dining room, both with marble fireplaces, decorative plaster ceilings, ornamental door-cases, and six-panel doors. Further late 18th century fireplaces and cornices are found on the second floor. The kitchen has a round arched fireplace exposed within the remains of a probable 17th century Tudor-arched opening, with further evidence of an earlier 17th century fireplace at the rear. Also evident is a basket-arched doorway with chamfered jambs. During the 1960s, various interiors were incorporated, including a Flemish panelled room dated 1673-1683 from the Carmelite Church in Ghent, complete with a stone fireplace and sculpted overmantel from Eaton Old Hall. The library houses probable 16th century North European bookcases and two barley-twist columns. The castle has been in the possession of the Carmelite Friars since 1972.