Thorp Arch Hall Including East Wing and West Wing

Details

SE44NW THORP ARCH THORP ARCH PARK LS23

2/119 Thorp Arch Hall 30.3.66 including East Wing and West Wing (formerly listed as part of Thorp Arch Hall and Stable Wings)

GV II*

Large house now 3 dwellings. 1750-54 by John Carr for William Gossip (Thorp Arch estate papers, Leeds City Archives). Ashlar magnesian limestone, Welsh slate roofs. 2-storey-and-attic, 5-bay double-pile house flanked by 2- storey, 3-bay side wings set back and under separate roofs. Main house: plinth, rusticated quoins; nosed stone steps to central glazed double-door and 3-pane overlight in C20 facsimile cast-concrete surround having architrave, pulvinated frieze and pediment on carved consoles. Other bays have sill band interrupted by lowered windows with unequally-hung 21-pane sashes in C20 facsimile architraved surrounds with pulvinated friezes and cornices. 1st floor: projecting sills and renewed architraves to sashes with glazing bars. Eaves cornice to hipped roof with ashlar end stacks and 2 sky- light windows. Wing set back on left (West Wing): large quoins; sashes with glazing bars beneath 9-pane casements, all having flush sills and deep lintels; eaves band to pyramidal roof with end stack on left. A 1-storey addition on left has part-glazed door on right of a blind 2-light mullioned window. Wing set back on right (East Wing) is similar; to its right is a screen wall with round-arched doorway. Rear of main house has steps to central 6-panel door and fanlight flanked by 8-pane sashes in Venetian style; tripartite window to ist floor otherwise sashes with glazing bars. Wings each have a blocked segmental archway now with later windows and doors beneath. Interior transverse hall with differing wooden staircase at each end having turned balusters, column newels and wreathed and ramped handrails; hall doorways have plain architraves under renewed friezes and cornices. Ground- floor room to front right: enriched 6-panel doors with acorn friezes and carved cornices; enriched skirting and dado rail; wooden fireplace with shell and acanthus motifs on frieze, overmantel with shouldered and eared architrave; plaster panels to walls and ceiling, dentilled cornice, floral ceiling motifs in Rococo style. Rear-right room: plainer doorcase; panelled dado; wooden fireplace with side scrolls and floral panel on carved frieze beneath overmantel with Greek fret ornament, drops and broken pediment; modillioned ceiling cornice. Front-left room: doorcase has carved architrave and planted carvings on frieze; resited wooden fire surround. Rear lobby: round-arched display cabinet with eared architrave; doorway into hall has eared architrave, pulvinated frieze and cornice. 1st floor: landing doorcases have architraves, pulvinated friezes and cornices; half-round stair windows at each end, that to right return with old glazing bars and glass; panelled plaster ceiling. Contemporary fire surrounds to the rooms on right. William Gossip of Skelton, near York, intended to build "a house of 5 windows and 4 rooms on a floor with the offices and stables in the wings" on his estate at Thorp Arch. On recommendation of Sir Rowland Winn of Nostell Priory he contacted James Paine who, despite engaging in some correspondence, was too busy to finalise a plan. On 8th August 1749 Gossip wrote to John and Robert Carr and by 15th August Mr. Carr "brought finished plans". A lengthy account tracks the building from 1750 until its completion in 1754; John Carr's account being settled in April 1756. Thorp Arch estate papers, Leeds City Archives [particularly Day Book 1749-51 (box 21/item 10) which notes the visits to Thorp Arch by Mr. Carr].

Listing NGR: SE4295946284

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

342042

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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