Birdsall House

Birdsall House is a country house with origins in the late 16th century, significantly remodelled in 1749 with the addition of a second storey to the main range, and a right wing added in 1872. Originally built for the Willoughby family, later Lords Middleton, the 1872 wing was designed by Salvin. The house is constructed of ashlar with Welsh slate roofs. It comprises a central range connecting to side wings via single-cell units, with a service wing to the rear, parallel to the right wing.

The main facade features a central five-bay, three-storey range flanked by single-bay, two-storey sections that connect to two-bay, two-storey side wings. A hexastyle Tuscan portico in antis, with a balustrade and plain entablature, leads to a central double-leaf, eight-panel door set within a rusticated architrave with a metope frieze and pediment. The ground floor is flanked by unequal six-pane sashes in keyed architraves; the central window is eared and shouldered with a band above. The first floor has four-pane sashes in keyed architraves, and the second floor mirrors this with four-pane sashes in keyed architraves. A moulded cornice runs along the top, surmounted by a balustrade with blind panels and a hipped roof. Linking bays have elliptical-arched tripartite sashes, with moulded cornices around double-leaf, six-panel doors to the returns. A set-back first floor is lit by four-pane sashes in keyed architraves. A band and plain parapet complete the facade. The side wings each feature a pair of elliptical-arched tripartite sashes to the ground floor, corresponding to the three four-pane sashes with keystones breaking a continuous band on the first floor. The returns towards the courtyard are similarly treated but consist of only one bay.

The garden facade has a central five-bay, three-storey range flanked by a seven-bay, two-storey wing with a canted central section, and an additional four-bay, three-storey wing to the left. The central three bays project, with rusticated pilasters. A plinth and floor bands are present, leading to a half-glazed door in a keyed rusticated architrave with a pulvinated frieze and pediment. Four-pane sashes are set in keyed architraves throughout, with the central first-floor window incorporating an eared and shouldered architrave with a double keystone. A moulded cornice and balustrade with blind panels feature, topped by a plain parapet. The left wing has four-pane sashes beneath keystones throughout, and another plain parapet.

The interior contains several fine state rooms, including an oval drawing room dating to circa 1780 and a ballroom from circa 1790. Richly carved doors to the rear of the house indicate that the main front faced the garden in the late 18th century. Salvin’s work includes a Doric screen to the dining room, fireplaces in the Long Hall, a massive wooden main stair, and delicate quadripartite vaulting on the first floor. The house was notable as the first in England to be fitted with a private gas system. Stop-chamfered spine beams with run-out stops are also present.