Details
PERLETHORPE THORESBY PARK
SK 67 SW
CUM BUDBY
1/130 Thoresby Hall and
adjoining out-
buildings, gate
and railings
11.8.61
G.V. I
Large country house. Built 1864-71 by A. Salvin with details by
O. Salvin for the third Earl Manvers. Elizabeth revival style
with irregular facades. Rockfaced ashlar. Ashlar dressings.
Slate roofs, some with decorative iron cresting. Chamfered
plinth, first floor band, string course, moulded cornice.
Panelled parapets with pierced decoration and strapwork. Quoins
have chamfered rustication. 2 gable, 2 side wall, 6 ridge and 9
corner stacks. 4 and 5 storeys plus attics. 9 bays wide by 8
bays deep. Square plan with central courtyard. Balanced
principal facades have prominent central features and corner
towers of various designs. Windows are cross and mullioned
casements. Main east front has central 3 storey projecting porch
with porte-cochere and above it, 2 stage bell tower with cupola.
Porte cochere has 3 round headed keystoned openings. Flanked to
left by 3 casements and beyond, door with over light. Beyond
again, 2 casements. To right, 4 casements. Above, porch has
elaborate paired casement with domed flanking pilasters. To
left, 5 and to right, 4 casements on each floor. Return angles
have each a single casement on each floor. Above again, porch
has 2 storey canted oriel window. Attics have 4 gabled dormers.
Tower has cornice with 4 urns. Above, clock stage has triple
corner pilasters and rosette decoration. Clock face to east.
Domed octagonal cupola has fluted scroll brackets and round
headed openings. Corner tower to left has shallow clasping
buttresses topped with square domed cupolas with round headed
openings. 4 shouldered gables with obelisk finials. To east,
parapeted square bay window with casement. Above, 2 floors each
with a single casement. Above again, paired casement. Above it,
single casement in gable. Tower to right, 5 stages, has to east
a casement on each floor. Arcaded top stage has round headed
openings. South front has 3 different bay windows, 2 storeys,
each with 3 or 4 casements. Central scrolled shaped gable
flanked to left by parapeted square tower and to right by tower
with corner cupolas. Central pedimented doorcase flanked to left
by 3 and to right by 2 casements on each floor. Above again, to
left 3 and to right 2 pedimented gabled dormers. West front has
square parapeted flanking towers, that to right with a 3 storey
gabled bay window. To left, single storey parapeted pavilion, 3
bays, with, to west, pedimented door flanked to right by 2
casements. Angled linking corridor, to right, has a casement.
To right, corner block has 3 casements. To right again, canted
balustraded corner bay window. To right again, pedimented
doorcase flanked by single casements. Beyond,to right, 2
casements and bay window with 3 casements. Above, 11 casements.
Above again, 4 gabled cross-eaves dormers, flanked to left by 3
casments and to right by single casement. Above again, to left,
a gabled dormer. Cross-gabled main staircase tower, 6 storeys,
has balustrade and 4 side wall stacks. On each side, a pair of
casements with strapwork lintel. Shaped gables have each a pair
of flanking stacks and a central stepped casement. Central
courtyard has to east 4 floors with casements and above again, 3
gabled dormers. South side has central canted parapeted 3
storey bay window with 3 casements on each floor, flanked by 2
and 3 casements. Above again, projecting bay flanked to left by
3 casements with aprons and to right by 3 casements with
bracketed sills. West side, 4 storeys, has 7 casements and
above, 3 floors each with 6 casements of various sizes.
Rainwater heads dated 1891 and 1893 and initialled 'M'. North
side, single storey plus attics, has to left, 2 casements and to
right, C20 French window. Above, 4 round headed shouldered
dormers. To north, adjoining service wings. 2 staggered
parallel single storey ranges with cross-gabled transverse range,
2 storeys plus attics. 12 bays long. All in a simplified
version of the style of the Hall, with similar detail. Rainwater
heads dated 1866. Transverse range, 6 bays, has round-headed
archway at each end, first floor Tudor arched linking bridge to
north, scrolled gabled dormers and paired central stack
containing bellcote. Retaining wall to north, rockfaced ashlar,
has openings with segmental heads. Simlar boundary wall, to
east, has pilasters and parapet. Hall interior has Great Hall
with moudled string course and hammer beam roof with carved
corbels and drops. To south, bracketed ashlar fireplace,
probably by Fisher and Dyson, with crest containing Arms, coronet
and supporters. Panelled dado. Classical doorcases with scroll
brackets and pediments. Above, 4 moulded round headed openings
to gallery. East end has screens passage with 3 round headed
openings. Above, 3 triple openings with granite shafts and above
again, a 3 bay arcade with shell niches in piers and pierced
balustrade. West end has central round headed arch flanked by
single shell headed niches and beyond, single round headed
recesses. Above, 2 round headed openings with elaborate
corbelled balconies. Above again, 3 small round headed openings.
Principal Imperial staircase has half-landings and elaborate
scrolled foliate cast iron balusters. Stair well has shell-
headed niches and domed ceiling. Front entrance hall has
segmental headed opening to dogleg staircase with landings.
Drawing room in Second Empire style has deep frieze and elaborate
coffered ceiling. Original silk wall covering. 2 marble
fireplaces with angled figure brackets and overmantel mirrors
with gilt frames. Library has fitted bookcases with C19 lamps,
foliate frieze and coffered ceiling. Large carved oak Classical
fireplace with carved figures and relief panel by Gerrard
Robinson. Ante room has marble Classical fireplace with herms
and overmantel mirror. 5 painted wood panels. Dining room has
Classical marble fireplace attributed to John Carr, with Ionic
columns, frieze with relief panel and dice with urns. Main
bedrooms have coffered ceilings and 2 Classical marble fireplaces
with overmantels, reputed to be from the John Carr house.
Outside, front entrance court flanked by rockfaced ashlar
retaining walls, with pilasters, parapets and urns. Keystoned
openings. To east, dwarf boundary wall, curved plan, carrying
elaborate wrought iron railing. Pair of central crested wrought
iron piers with lamp brackets and pair of wrought iron gates.
Thoresby Park was enclosed by William Pierrepont, fourth Earl of
Kingston, in 1783. The existing early C17 house was remodelled,
probably by Benjamin Jackson, in 1685-87, and burnt down in 1745.
A second house by John Carr was built in 1767-71. This was
pulled down c.1865, when the present house was built on a site
about 400M to the north.
Listing NGR: SK6384271171
