Details
THORPE UNDERWOODS THORPE GREEN LANE
SE 45 NE
(south-east side, off)
7/60 Thorpe Underwood Hall
15/1/80
II*
Country house. Dated 1902-03. By W.H.Brierley for F.W.Slingsby. Red
brick in English band, on chamfered brick plinth; sandstone quoined
window and door surrounds, and mullions. Slate roof. Neo-Jacobean style.
Entrance front: 2 storeys and attic, 5-bays, with further 2-storey service
bay at far left end. End and centre bays project, end bays having shaped
gables, and centre bay, forming frontispiece, having shaped parapet.
Entrance in centre bay has square-headed doorcase with nail-studded double
doors in double-chamfered, Tudor-arched recessed opening. Arch spandrels
carved with acorns and oak leaves, and lintel inscribed:
ANNO TERTIO EDUARDI VII BRITT REX
in Gothic lettering between Tudor roses. Heraldic beasts flank doorway
and above is shield with rampant lion surrounded by acorns and oak leaves,
carved in the round. Wrought iron bell pull. 3-light mullioned window,
with decorative leaded glazing, beneath square hoodmould on crowned lion
stops, above. To right, ground floor windows of paired, mullioned and
transomed lights with king mullions; on first floor two 4-light mullioned
and transomed windows, and one 2-light mullioned window. To left, 3-light
mullioned and double transomed staircase window with heraldic stained
glass. Service bay window mullioned and transomed; remaining left bay
windows mullioned and scattered. Mullioned attic windows in gabled bays,
half-hipped dormers in three centre bays. All windows have square-leaded
lights, except where indicated. Continuous brick first floor string and
brick dentilleed eaves cornice beneath coped parapet. Original rainwater
goods, dated 1903 on hopper, have clamps stamped with letter S or heraldic
lion. Four banks of conjoined stacks, some set diagonally, with corbelled
cornices.
Garden front: three 2-storey-and-attic bays between 2-storey bays to main
part, and 2-storey, 3-bay service wing set back at right. Main part
centre and outer bays project, forming 2-storey bay windows, the centre
one canted, the outer ones square. Ground and first floor windows are
mullioned and transomed, 5-light in outer bays, 4-light in centre and
3-light in inner left bay. Inner right bay has 4-light ground floor
window with king mullion, and 3-light window on first floor. Centre and
outer bays under plain parapet, which forms balcony to attic in centre
bay. Attic windows of three mullioned lights. Plain coped central gable
flanked by shaped gables. Service wing has Tudor-arched doorway with date
1902 carved in spandrels. Windows are mullioned.
South-west front: 2 storeys and attic, 3 bays, 2 bays gabled. 2-storey,
half-octagonal bay at right with mullioned and transomed windows on both
floors, and coped parapet. Mullioned and transomed windows to left, one
of 4 lights on ground floor, two of 3 lights on first floor. Attic
windows of 3 mullioned lights.
Interior. Entrance porch barrel-vaulted with glazed inner door in
Tudor-arched surround with carved spandrels. Hall: massive carved stone
fireplace and overmantel. Painted ceiling beams and joists. Library:
panelled and shelved, shelving incorporated into vast inglenook fireplace.
Drawing room: re-used C18 eared chimneypiece with carved frieze, beneath
panelled overmantel between floral drops. Beamed, plastered ceiling.
Dining room: heavily carved chimneypiece and overmantel, fireplace between
Ionic columns supporting fretted frieze and cornice shelf, overmantel of
carved sunk panels between Composite columns. Beamed, plastered ceiling.
Staircase: closed string, dogleg stair with turned balusters, moulded
handrail and carved square newels. Moulded plaster ceiling. All main
ground floor rooms richly panelled in square sunk panelling.
Sunlounge extension not of special interest.
Charles Carus, Walter Henry Brierley 1862-1926: unpublished Diploma in
Conservation Studies dissertation, University of York. P.Nuttgens,
Brierley in Yorkshire. York Georgian Society, Annual Report for 1984.
Yorkshire Life Illustrated, May, 1955.
Listing NGR: SE4632959252
