Details
SOUTHWELL
NOTTINGHAM ROAD
SK65SE
1919-0/3/125 (East side)
07/08/52 Brackenhurst Hall and attached coach
house, orangery and garden wall
(Formerly Listed as:
Brackenhurst Hall, only)
GV II
Country house, now an agricultural college, and attached
former coach house, orangery and garden wall. Built 1828 for
the Rev. Thomas Coats Cane and extensively remodelled c1890
for W N Hicking. Converted to an agricultural college 1949.
Yellow and red brick, with stone dressings and hipped slate
and lead roofs. Plinth, moulded cornice, balustrade, 4 side
wall and 5 ridge stacks. Windows are mainly glazing bar
sashes. Major garden front, 2 storeys, has a range of 8
windows arranged 2/4/2, with a set back centre and flanking
wings. Below, a tetrastyle Ionic portico with dentilled
cornice, curved central steps and balustrade between the
piers. Under the portico, 4 glazing bar windows and beyond, in
the wings, 2 sashes. To the right, a set back 3-storey range
with irregular fenestration including a door with overlight
and to its right an oval window with keystones. Symmetrical
south front, 5 windows, has a central 2 storey bow window with
a shaped balcony and railing on scroll brackets. Central
French window flanked by single sashes, and beyond, single
sashes. Below, similar fenestration with taller sashes, that
to the far left altered to a French window, late C19. All
these windows have multi keystoned lintels. Irregular entrance
front has a near-symmetrical block to right. 2 storeys; 3
window range. Projecting pedimented centre. Above and behind,
an octagonal wooden bell turret with copper ogee dome and wind
vane. Below, a tetrastyle Ionic portico covering a studded
plank door flanked by single leaded windows. To left, a 5
window range arranged 1/3/1, the central 3 windows being set
back. Central French window and balcony flanked by 2 sashes.
Below, a central door with overlight, flanked by 2 sashes,
with a small oval window between the pair to the right. To
left again, a 4-stage square water tower with string courses
and quoins. The lower stages have glazing bar sashes, that to
the third stage with moulded segmental head. The fourth stage
has an oval window with keystones. To left again, link
building, 1949, with keystoned lintels. 2 storey former coach
house, to north, has a hipped roof topped with an octagonal
wooden turret with lead dome. South side has a round headed
carriage arch and to right a pair of C20 segment headed
carriage doors. West side has 3 full height round headed
recesses with C20 casements on each floor. Single storey
former orangery, to north east, has plinth, moulded cornice,
and glazed hipped roof. Projecting pedimented centre with 4
Doric columns and central door with fanlight and side lights.
On either side, single 15-pane windows with fanlights. Below
them, rendered panels. Beyond, on either side, 3 similar
windows, and in the east end, two more. To right, brick garden
wall with ramped stone coping, approx. 25M long. To the south
east of the house, a balustraded stone garden wall, approx.
70M long, with a pair of square piers with moulded caps at the
far end. At the south west corner, a similar wall with 3
square piers with obelisk finials, approx. 35m long. House
interior has entrance hall, altered c1949, with a reused late
C17 oak gallery around 3 sides. Pargetted panelled coved
ceiling with octagonal toplight. Reused late C17 dogleg stair
and panelling. Pargetted frieze to landing and corridor.
Former library, now Principal's office, has moulded wall
panels and enriched cornice. Early C19 hob grate with enriched
eared architrave and eared and shouldered overmantel with
plaster fruit festoons. Former drawing room, now staff room,
has fielded wall panels, enriched cornice and 2 marble
fireplaces with basket grates and enriched mantelshelves.
Wooden overmantel panels with shell crests and flower swags in
late C17 style. Enriched doorcases with cornices. Panelled
plaster ceiling with heavy foliate borders. This building was
the birthplace of Viscount Allenby, 1861-1936, British
commander in Palestine 1917-18.
(The Nottinghamshire Countryside: K S S TRAIN: Oct 1965:
Nottingham).
Listing NGR: SK6954252244
