Rudding Park House

Rudding Park House

A large house begun in 1805 and completed after 1824. Built for the Honourable William Gordon and Sir Joseph Radcliffe, designed in the style of Wyatt by an unknown original architect, and completed by R D Chantrell. The house is constructed in ashlar with a Westmorland slate roof.

The main block is two storeys with 13 by 7 first-floor windows, accompanied by a narrow rear wing containing 4 first-floor windows. The east facade features a central half-glazed double door with flanking windows, set beneath attached Tuscan columns supporting a 4-column Tuscan portico raised on 3 steps with a plain entablature. On either side are flanking two-storey bows, each containing 3 windows. Ground-floor windows throughout are 15-pane unequally-hung sashes, while first-floor windows are sashes with glazing bars. Projecting first-floor and sill bands run across the facade, with a moulded eaves cornice and blocking course below the hipped roof. Ridge stacks flank the portico, with 3 further stacks towards the rear.

The rear elevation on the left has a ground-floor wide entrance with a round-arched opening, and sashes with glazing bars to the right and first floor. The projecting central rear wing has quoins and 2 sashes with glazing bars to the first floor, eaves returns, and an ashlar gable with coping and a central corniced stack. The rear right elevation features a two-storey bow-window with sashes with glazing bars to each floor, matching the main facade.

The interior contains a central entrance hall with a double door flanked by niches, leading to a staircase hall behind. To the left, double 6-panel doors open to the drawing room, which retains its original marble fire surround, ceiling cornice and ceiling panels. To the right are the dining room doors, with original fire surround. The staircase hall has a central glazed stair well and an imperial staircase with white-painted iron balustrade featuring a scroll pattern alternating with plain uprights and a mahogany handrail. The blue drawing room and library occupy the south side of the house. The library contains an original white marble fireplace with fluted columns, glazed mahogany bookshelves with cupboards beneath (probably dating to 1825), and a fine plaster ceiling.

A balustrade over the portico was removed between 1949 and 1972. In 1984-85, extensive service rooms were demolished in the north-west angle of the house and rear wing, along with a single-storey corridor that had linked the house and church.

Rudding Park was formerly owned by the Earl of Rosslyn, who died in 1805. His nephew then sold the estate to the Honourable William Gordon, who demolished the old house and began construction of the present building to the north-east. In 1824, Gordon sold the unfinished property to Sir Joseph Radcliffe, who employed R D Chantrell, architect of Leeds Parish Church, to complete it. In 1972, Sir Everard and Lady Radcliffe sold the estate to Mr MacKaness.