Listed Building record MDR5559 - Elvaston Castle, Elvaston

Elvaston Castle, Elvaston, originally built in 1633 and the early 17th century, remodelled in the 19th century. 'Part of the original house remains and is dated 1633. It was rebuilt in 1817.' (1) 'Authority 1 confirmed. The south face of the east wing stands to its original height. Unoccupied. See GP AO/66/187/' (2) 'Elvaston Castle. Country house, now part of country park. 1633 and early 18th cent, with major refashioning in Tudor style by James Wyatt of c1817, completed after his death by Walker, and east front of c1830 to 1840, probably designed by LN Cottingham, plus 20th century alterations, including demolition of the north-west wing in 1970. Built for the Earls of Harrington. Grade II*.' (3) 'Grounds dating to c1850, house from the 17th to 19th centuries.' (4) 'Elvaston manor came into the hands of Geoffrey Alselin after the Norman Conquest. The estate then passed into the hands of the Bardolph family, who held it until it was forfeited to the crown early in the reign of Henry VI. By the mid-15th century the estate was in the possession of the Blount family, Lords Mountjoy, who appear to have had a substantial, well-furnished manor house. In the first half of the 16th century the house was sold by the 6th Lord Mountjoy to Sir Michael Stanhope. This family then owned and developed the property until its sale in the 1960s. Elvaston Castle today (2002) still displays a few features which suggest the probable presence of a high quality house of Tudor date and these might possibly be associated with the access of the Stanhopes. It appears that the old house was rebuilt, at least in part, in the early 1630s by Sir John Stanhope, and recent assessment of the Castle has demonstrated that considerably more of a 17th century core remains than had previously been thought. For example, 17th century features include the east wing, which is constructed of brick and contains contemporary oak panelling. There is a date stone of 1633 on the south-east corner bay window. Parts of the north range are also 17th century. In 1692 an inventory of the house was made which reveals the number and names of rooms in the manor house, including for example the Great Parlour, Hall, Drawing Room, Dining Room, Gallery, Study, Nursery and a number of 'chambers', often described by colour. In the early 18th century, work was carried out on the church and the gardens and it seems likely that some work was done to the house also. Recent survey shows that there was a considerable amount of refashioning in the 18th century, some of which has survived. For example, early 18th century work is seen externally on the north wing and there may have been some 18th century remodelling of the east wing. 18th century brickwork in many areas suggests considerable new building work beyond the east wing also, but the plan and extent is difficult to determine as so much 19th century plasterwork overlays these areas. The early part of the 19th century saw the greatest changes, which survive today. In 1815 James Wyatt undertook a major remodelling and extension of the house, although he died before the work was begun and it had to be supervised by his student Robert Walker. From the mid 1830s there was further work to the house, probably by Cottingham, including the remodelling of the east wing. There is a considerable degree of uncertainty about the sequence of building works in the 19th century, however. It is usually assumed that there was a simple progression, from Wyatt to Cottingham, but careful analysis has demonstrated that there is no such clarity. The main changes of the 20th century were the demolition of the north-west water tower and link buildings and the rebuilding of the north side of the courtyard in the 1970s.' (5) 'Vernacular east wing dated to 1633, part of the larger 19th century mansion.' (6) From the National Heritage List for England: 'SK 43 SW PARISH OF ELVASTON BORROWASH ROAD 2/15 (West Side) 2.9.52 Elvaston Castle GV II* Country house, now part of country park. 1633 and early C18, with major refashioning in Tudor style by James Wyatt of c1817, completed after his death by Walker and east front of c1830 to 1840, probably designed by L N Cottingham, plus C211 alterations, including demolition of north-west wing in 1970. Built for the Earls of Harrington. Ashlar with stone dressings, except 1633 bay to east of south front which is of red brick with stone dressings and flush quoins, and north-west corner of the building which has been rendered. Shallow pitched slate roofs with brick stacks hidden behind embattled parapets with ridgeback copings over coved eaves stringcourse. Three storeys and seven bays by nine bays. Seven bay south front, designed by Wyatt, incorporating one bay of 1633 house, has wide flanking bays and five recessed central bays with an advanced central porch. This has a moulded four-centred arched doorcase, with carved spandrels and returned hoodmould with carved labelstops, flanked by stepped angle buttresses with blind panelling to upper parts which rise above the parapets to form small castellated turrets. Coved stringcourse and embattled parapets with blind panelling over. To either side, the porch has blind pointed windows with returned hoods and inside it has a rib vaulted ceiling plus a pointed inner doorcase with double glazed doors and cusped fanlight. To either side of the porch there are pairs of tall recessed and chamfered cross windows with cusped headed lights, incised spandrels and returned hoodmoulds. Five similar smaller windows above, without transoms. Western bay is C19 and has full height octagonal turrets to each corner with cornices at first floor level, narrow slit windows above and castellated tops. Ground floor has similar 3-light mullion window. Above there is a canted oriel window with frieze of cusped blind panelling to base and top, cusped headed 2-light window to front with similar single light windows to sides, and a lapped stone roof with crocketed corner finials. Above again there is a central 2-light window, similar to those to central bays, flanked by similar blind single light windows. Eastern bay, of red brick, has two storey canted bay window with ovolo moulded 4-light mullion and transomed window to front and similar single light windows to sides plus returned hoodmould. To centre of the sill there is a corbelled stone sundial. Above there is a similar taller window with stone roof carved to simulate tiles, over which is a carved frieze dated 1633 with returned hoodmould over. Above again there is a 4-light recessed and ovolo moulded mullion and transomed window with dripmould. All C17 windows have leaded lights and some have C17 glass. Parapets have been continued up in stone above the C17 gable and eastern corner has C19 octagonal stone turret similar to those to western bay. Nine bay east front, probably by Cottingham, has continuous sill stringcourses to upper floors, stepped corner turrets, similar to those on south front, and three taller central bays advanced. Central bay has a two storey canted bay window, with plain sashes in moulded surrounds with cusped top corners, and moulded cornice plus panelled frieze above. To either side there are four plain sashes in similar surrounds with returned hoodmoulds. Above there are four similar windows to either side of the canted bay window, which has similar sashes to those below. It also has embattled parapets with raised central piece, decorated with Harrington crest, over a moulded cornice with ball flowers and corner gargoyles. Above again there are nine similar, smaller sashes. Centre bays have plain frieze above with three panels carved with heraldic devices, and a blind cusped panelled frieze above again. Embattled parapets over are flanked by small castellated turrets and have stepped central section crowned by a rampant lion finial and decorated with a Harrington achievement. Attached to north side of this elevation is a lower wing which has 2-light recessed and chamfered mullion windows with four- centred arched light and returned hoodmoulds. Similar windows to north and west elevations, except rendered part which has plain recessed and chamfered C17 style windows. Interior has C17 panelling to two eastern rooms on ground floor, that to centre with a splendid three tiered gilded overmantle, decorated with strapwork, coats of arms and painted figures. Gothick Hall, by James Wyatt, has rib vaulted ceiling supported by clustered and columns with foliage capitals, and wall niches with cusped crocketed canopies, also with traceried doors and wall mirrors and a large stone fireplace in similar style. The whole room is richly gilded and painted in gothick style. The main hall is c1900 in C18 style with pedimented doorcases, metal balustrade to cantilevered stone staircase and a panelled ceiling with central lantern. South-east room , behind 1633 facade, has C18 panelling with dado rail and carved cornice. In the room above there is C17 panelling and there its more C18 panelling to other first floor rooms. Upper south-east room has ornate plasterwork in the 1633 canted bay window. Above the Gothick Hall is another Gothick style room. Kitchens to north- west corner have a massive medieval style hooded fireplace and four-centred arched cupboards and doors. Upper rooms have all been gutted. Over the main hall above the lantern is a late C19 cast iron orchid house with decorative pierced iron trusses and a C18 style balustrade with the initial 'H' to each of the panel. Sources see Derbyshire Life and Countryside, Vol 28, Issue 1, Pg 36, and Vol 35, Issue 2, Pg 34 and County Life, January 1899. Listing NGR: SK4078533004.' (7)