Listed Building record MDR2612 - Brizlincote Hall Farmhouse, Stanhope Bretby, Bretby

A grade II* listed house that was built in 1707 for the Second Earl of Chesterfield. It is constructed of red brick and sandstone ashlar, and has a hipped plain tile roof with two massive red brick and ashlar stacks. It has a chamfered stone plinth, projecting stone quoins, moulded first floor band and moulded dentilled second floor band. There are segmental pediments across the full width of each facade. The building has a rectangular plan, and is of two storeys and attics. The north elevation is of five symmetrical bays. There is also a semi-basement with four windows. A flight of five semi-circular steps leads to a central doorway with moulded architrave and swan-neck pediment on moulded consoles repeated at right angles against the wall. There is a half-glazed door, and inscribed above is: 'NON IGNARA MALI MISERIS SUCCURRERE DISCO AD 1714' (not ignorant of ill, I learn to help the unhappy). A similar five-bay south elevation has mostly 19th century casement lights. Above the doorway there is another inscription: 'HOMO LUPUS AD 1714' (Man is a Wolf to Man). Inside, there are brick vaulted basement service rooms. There is also a large four-centred arched fireplace in what was probably the kitchen. The hall also has a huge four-centred arched fireplace bay. One room has an Adam style chimneypiece. See list description for more details. (1) Brizlincote Hall was built in 1707 by the Second Earl of Chesterfield. The inscribed date 1714 is a later addition. It's distinguishing feature is a vast segmental pediment that extends across the whole front, big enough to contain five windows; the outer ones being small and circular. The garden and entrance fronts are almost identical. The shorter side elevations also have segmental pediments, only on a smaller scale. On both main fronts the doorcases have handsome swan's neck pediments on carved consoles, oddly repeated at right-angles along the face of the wall; an apparently unique feature. (2) Brizlincote Hall was built in 1707 and was intended for sons and heirs of the Stanhopes. It replaced a previous house built by the Pagets on land acquired from the demise of Burton Abbey. This building was purchased from the Merrys in 1706 and demolished. The present house is in small wire cut bricks of two storeys and five by five bays, decorated by quoins, with a pedimented entrance and alternating pediments over the upper windows. The unique aspect consists in an enormous segmental pediment extending across the whole front (and repeated on the sides) and large enough to contain five windows, those at the extremities being smaller and circular. (3)