Stockeld Park House

Stockeld Park House is a Palladian mansion, built between 1758 and 1763 by James Paine for William Middleton, with later 19th-century additions. The house is constructed of millstone grit ashlar with a Westmorland slate roof. It comprises a three-storey, three-bay central block flanked by two-storey wings, each with one wide bay.

The garden facade, which represents the original entrance, features chamfered rustication to the ground floor and ashlar masonry above. A central glazed door with an overlight sits under a flat arch with a keystone, flanked by sashes with glazing bars. The first-floor central window has a cornice supported by consoles, topped with a segmental pediment featuring a shield and swags. Three square six-light sashes are on the second floor. A deep eaves cornice leads to a triangular pediment with a shield and swags. The side wings have canted bays to the ground floor, each with three sashes with glazing bars. Semicircular recesses on the first floor contain segmental-headed sashes with glazing bars, consoles, and curved cornices above. A balustrade runs over the canted bays and across the central block, supported by corbels. Open triangular pediments top the gable ends. Side stacks are located on the central block, while ridge stacks are on the wings.

The rear facade is of ashlar with quoins to the ground floor and includes a late 19th-century portico with four pairs of Tuscan columns in the central block. Windows on the ground floor of the wings have Gibbs surrounds and triangular pediments. The left return has six bays, incorporating central alcoves on both ground and first floors and an open triangular pediment above.

The interior features a central oval staircase hall with fine plasterwork and curved connecting doors. The cantilevered stone staircase rises through three floors and has curved stick balusters made of iron and a plain ramped handrail, lit by an oval glazed dome. The original entrance hall, now the morning room, retains its original fireplace, shutters, doors, and doorcases, as well as a bucranium frieze and mouldings to the ceiling. Other rooms contain original plasterwork and fireplaces.

Alterations in the late 19th century to the former chapel, located at the north end of the west wing, included flooring over the sanctuary area (now part of the cellars) and the addition of a new fireplace, doorcases, and plasterwork. A large service and nursery wing was added to the east side between 1892 and 1896. James Paine illustrated the house in his 1769 publication, Plans, Elevations and Sections of Noblemen and Gentlemens' Houses.... The house is regarded as one of Paine's most impressive designs.