Details
WOOTTON WAWEN
SP16SE STRATFORD ROAD
1457-1/5/176 (North side)
06/02/52 Wootton Hall
GV II*
Country house, now flats. `FCA 1687' to 2 front ornamental
lead rainwater heads, incorporating late C16 house (to west
part) and with later additions and alterations including those
to west facade believed to be late C18, though probably c1904;
roof destroyed in fire of 1941 and renewed c1970s and with
some late C20 additions. For Francis, 2nd Lord Carrington and
Lady Anne Herbert, his second wife; with alterations c1906 for
Mr Hughes and late C16 building for Francis Smith.
MATERIALS: coursed Wilmscote stone with ashlar dressings and
renewed slate roof.
PLAN: L-shaped on plan, altered internally.
EXTERIOR: garden facade: 2 storeys with basement and attic
dormers, 9 bays arranged 3:3:3, of which the centre breaks
forward and is pedimented. Quoins to angles. Roll-moulded
plinth continues around house. Tall 6/6 sashes throughout in
tooled, eared architraves with shoulders, central keystones
and moulded sills, those to ground floor also have pulvinated
friezes and alternate triangular and segmental pediments,
those to first floor have friezes.
Central entrance: 4 steps to double part-glazed doors with
overlight with margin lights in fielded panel reveals and with
tooled, eared architrave with central acanthus corbel brackets
surmounted by wide segmental pediment.
Basement: chamfered, segmental-arched openings with keystones,
those to right have plank shutters, those to left are blocked.
Continuous frieze, architrave has egg-and-dart moulding, and
acanthus modillion cornice; moulding continues around
pediment. Cornice continues around house and is partly
renewed. Pediment with coat of arms. 4 C20 attic gables with
3/6 sashes. C20 hipped roof with central and rear stacks.
Left return: 3 storeys with basement and attic dormers, 9 bays
arranged 4:1:4, the centre bay breaks forward and is ashlar.
Central entrance: 2 roll-edged steps to C20 glazed door in
double chamfered surround between 2 fixed-light windows. First
and second floors: central giant Venetian window in tooled
surround, the centre a 15-pane stained glass window with
margin lights, otherwise panels of stained glass. Blind
openings above outer lights. Ground and first floors have 6/6
sashes, many with thick glazing bars, second floor has mainly
6/3 sashes with thick glazing bars, with one 9-pane fixed
light. All windows in tooled, eared surrounds with shoulders,
moulded sills, frieze interrupted by central keystones, those
to ground and first floors have moulded cornices.
Right return: 2 storeys with attic dormers, 3 first-floor
windows. Flight of 5 steps (4 are roll-moulded) with solid
ashlar balustrade to right end entrance: C20 glazed double
door with overlight in tooled, eared and shouldered surround
with pulvinated frieze interrupted by central keystone, and
pediment. 9/9 sashes all in tooled, eared architraves with
shoulders, frieze interrupted by central keystone; moulded
sills. First-floor band. Plain frieze. One attic dormer as
before.
To rear return: 2 storeys with basement and attic dormers,
full-height staircase window and 4 first-floor windows.
Stained-glass staircase window has tooled, eared architrave
with shoulders, frieze, central keystone and moulded sill.
Otherwise 9/9 sashes with similar architraves, first-floor
band. Continuous band above windows. Basement windows blocked,
attics as before.
INTERIOR: late C17 bolection-moulded panelling to south-west
room. Remains of deep coving with ornamentation to south-east
room, now partitioned. Bolection-moulded fireplace to south
room. Front open-well staircase inserted 1904 by Mr Brettell,
builder, of Wootton Wawen for Mr Hughes. Oak back dog-leg
staircase dates from c1687 and has rod-on-vase balusters. Rear
dining room has 2 bolection-moulded fireplaces and remains of
late C17 bolection-moulded panelling and wainscote, overdoor
frames are elaborated with acanthus, many panels replaced in
early C20; deep coving; 6-panel doors, shutters.
First floor: south-west room has austere grey and white marble
Neo-Classical fireplace, ogee-arched moulding on fluted Ionic
pilasters for bed alcove, now blocked in, panelling.
West wing: the rooms are divided into suites, now slightly
rearranged. Late C16 panelling and wainscoting to west part of
house; deep cornices, bolection-moulded fireplaces, one with
brass inset c1900 with wren and peacock. 3-panel doors with
HL-hinges.
Reputed to have had 2 priest's rooms communicating by a
staircase built in the thickness of the wall which is visible
from first-floor level, but reputedly survives from cellar to
attic. Cellars have through passage and 2 tunnels. Maria
Fitzherbert, morganatic wife of George IV lived here.
HISTORY: the house was in the ownership of Catholic recusant
families, Carrington, Holford and Smythe. It is thought to
have been a centre for Catholic worship during the recusancy,
with a chapel in the dining room; the west wing may have been
used as accommodation for priests.
All the listed items on the Wootton Hall Estate (Wootton Park)
form a group. Wootton Hall also form a group with Church of St
Peter (qv).
(Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Interest:
Warwickshire: 1563; Buildings of England: Pevsner N:
Warwickshire: Harmondsworth: 1966-: 482; Holme C: Gardens of
England in the Midland and Eastern Counties: 1908-: 130-131;
Cooper W: Wootton Wawen, its history and records: Leeds:
1936-; Hodgetts M: Midlands Catholic Buildings: Birmingham:
1990-: 61).
Listing NGR: SP1549663359
