Capesthorne Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Capesthorne Hall |
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Entrance front of Capesthorne Hall
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| Location | Near Siddington, Cheshire, England |
| OS grid reference | SJ 840 728 |
| Built | 1719–32 |
| Built for | John Ward |
| Rebuilt | After 1861 |
| Restored | 1837–39 |
| Restored by | Edward Davies Davenport |
| Architect | William Smith, Edward Blore, Anthony Salvin |
| Architectural style(s) | Jacobean |
| Governing body | Privately owned |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Designated | 14 April 1967 |
| Reference no. | 1104882 |
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Capesthorne Hall is a grand country house located near Siddington, in Cheshire, England. This beautiful hall and its private chapel were built in the early 1700s. They replaced an older house and chapel that used to be nearby.
The first designs for the hall were in a Neoclassical style. This was done by William Smith and probably his son Francis. Later in the 1700s, the house got bigger with an orangery (a type of greenhouse for orange trees) and a drawing room.
In the 1830s, the house was updated by Edward Blore. He added new parts and changed the front to a Jacobean style. He also connected the main part of the house to the other buildings. Around 1837, the orangery was replaced by a huge conservatory designed by Joseph Paxton.
Sadly, in 1861, a big fire almost destroyed the main part of the house. It was rebuilt by Anthony Salvin. He mostly followed Blore's plans but made some changes. He rebuilt the back of the house in Jacobean style and changed the inside. More changes happened later in the 1800s.
During the Second World War, the Red Cross used the hall. After the war, the house needed a lot of repair, which was then done. Today, the hall is still owned by the Bromley-Davenport family. It is open for visitors at certain times and used for special events like weddings.
The hall is made of brick with stone decorations and slate roofs. It is a very important historic building, listed as Grade II*. It has a long front with a tall central part and towers on the sides. The house stands in lovely grounds with gardens, parkland, and a lake. A special building in the grounds is the private chapel, also designed by William Smith. Its fancy gates and gate piers are also listed as historic. Other listed structures include a bridge over the lake, an icehouse, and a lodge. The remains of the old hall and chapel, plus an old medieval village, are also protected as ancient monuments.
Contents
History of Capesthorne Hall
Who Lived Here?
The land of Capesthorne was owned by the Capesthorne family until 1386. Then, it passed to the Ward family. The very first house was about 290 meters (317 yards) to the west of the current hall. Its chapel was 25 meters (27 yards) north of that house. You can still see a brick column in the grounds marking the old chapel's spot.
In 1719, John Ward hired William Smith to design a new house and chapel. This new site was different from the old one. First, two separate buildings were built: one for house offices and another for stables and coaches. The main part of the house came later. William Smith passed away in 1724. It's believed his younger brother, Francis Smith, designed the main house.
The house was built in a Neoclassical style. It had a front with seven sections, and the middle three sections stuck out a bit. It was made of brick with stone details. The house was two rooms deep, with a main entrance hall in the middle.
John Ward's grandson, William Davenport, came to live at Capesthorne in the late 1730s. The Ward family had connections with merchants in Liverpool.
How the Hall Changed Over Time
John Ward died in 1748 without a son. So, the manor went to the Davenport family. This happened when his daughter Penelope married Davies Davenport. Davies Davenport's grandson (also named Davies Davenport) made the house even better. He added a single-story orangery and a drawing room.
When he died, his son, Edward Davies Davenport, asked Edward Blore to redesign the house. Between 1837 and 1839, Blore connected the side buildings to the main house. He also made the sides wider and built new stables and service areas. This made the whole building look more balanced. The front of the house was changed to a Jacobean style. New windows were put in, and a covered walkway (loggia) and towers were added. In the middle of the house, there was a raised attic with a clock and a bell.
The orangery was replaced by a huge conservatory designed by Joseph Paxton. This conservatory led directly to the family's special seating area in the chapel. Blore also designed new entrance lodges.
The Great Fire and Rebuilding
In 1861, when Arthur Henry Davenport owned the house, a big fire destroyed most of the central part. Only the side buildings, the covered walkway, and part of the front wall were left. Edward Blore had retired by then. So, Anthony Salvin was hired to rebuild the house.
Salvin mostly followed Blore's plans. But he gave the front of the house three shaped gables instead of the central attic. The back of the house, which faced the garden, was rebuilt in Jacobean style instead of Neoclassical. Inside, Salvin made the ground floor ceilings taller.
Arthur Henry Davenport died in 1867 before the rebuilding was finished. The house then went to William Bromley-Davenport. During his time, the main living room (saloon) was updated in 1879. The chapel was also updated in 1884.
During the Second World War, the Red Cross used the house. By this time, the house was in poor condition. But it has since been beautifully restored. The Bromley-Davenport family still owns Capesthorne Hall today.
Exploring Capesthorne Hall's Design
Outside the Hall
Capesthorne Hall is built with red bricks and stone details. It has a slate roof. The design is balanced, with a three-story central part and two-story side parts that stick out. These side parts create a three-sided entrance area.
The middle of the central part has seven sections with arched openings. These arches are supported by columns. Behind these are many-paned windows. Above these windows is a decorative ledge and three shaped gables. These gables have stone tops and decorations, and they show family symbols.
On each side of the central part are slightly sticking-out wings. They have a central section and four-story towers on the sides. The central sections have two-story bay windows. The towers have single windows and pointed, curved roofs with decorations.
The two-story service buildings stick out on each side of the central block. The fronts facing the entrance area are similar. One side has a covered entrance for carriages. Behind these arches are seven-section fronts. The middle section has a door with a fanlight (a window shaped like a fan). Above this is a window that sticks out, with a shaped gable above it. Other windows are sash windows.
Inside the Hall
When Anthony Salvin rebuilt the inside after the 1861 fire, he used some of Blore's designs and some of his own.
- The Entrance Hall: This room looks much like Blore designed it. It has a ceiling with panels and hanging decorations. The windows have 19th-century stained glass showing the symbols of the Davenport and Ward families. The fireplace was added by Salvin. It includes figures that used to be part of the chapel's reading stand.
- The Sculpture Gallery: Also designed by Blore, this gallery has a panelled ceiling. It's a corridor with arched spaces along the sides. Most of the sculptures here were collected by Edward Davies Davenport. They are old copies of famous Greek sculptures. There are also works by famous artists like Joseph Nollekens and Antonio Canova.
- The Saloon: This room was designed by Salvin and also has a panelled ceiling. It features a large fireplace in an early Renaissance style. You'll see many family portraits and vases collected from trips abroad.
- The Drawing Room: Designed by Salvin, this room is on the garden side. It has a panelled ceiling with hanging decorations and a floral border. The room has two fireplaces made of special stone from 1789. They originally came from the family's house in London. One shows figures representing Faith, Hope, and Charity. The other shows a scene from an ancient Roman painting.
- The State Dining Room: This room is very much as Blore designed it. It has a panelled ceiling with hanging decorations and wood panels up to a certain height. The room has a large fireplace made of white and colored marble, showing the family's symbols. There are also sculptures by Joseph Wilton.
- The Staircase Hall: Designed by Salvin, this hall is separated from the Sculpture Gallery by three arched openings. On the walls are portraits of the Bromley family. The staircase has a fancy metal railing with leaf designs and round symbols. These symbols show the crests of the Bromleys and the Davenports. The Davenport crest shows a figure with a rope around his neck. In these symbols, the figure has the face of William Gladstone, who was a political rival of the Davenports. There are four more rooms on the ground floor, all designed by Salvin.
- The Library: This room has a panelled ceiling with diamond shapes. It features imitation Jacobean wood panels and a Jacobean fireplace from a demolished house called Marton Hall.
- The Study: This room also has a panelled ceiling with a circular design in the middle.
- The Private Dining Room: This room has a 19th-century marble fireplace.
- The Ground Floor Bedroom: This bedroom has a ceiling with sunken panels and a Victorian-style fireplace.
On the first floor, the landing has arches similar to those downstairs. From here, you can enter the Upper Gallery. This gallery displays documents about the Bromley-Davenport family tree. Beyond this is the Dorothy Davenport Room and its dressing room. The room is named after Dorothy Davenport (1562–1639). She spent 26 years creating the needlework that is on the Jacobean bed in the room. Her work shows the dates she worked on it and scenes like the Garden of Eden and the story of Adam and Eve. Other rooms on the first floor include:
- The State Bedroom, with valuable furniture like a special chest of drawers.
- The State Dressing Room.
- The American Room, decorated with items from Philadelphia.
- The Yellow Room, which was the bedroom of Sir William Bromley-Davenport, who died in 1949.
In the hallway outside the American Room, there is a portrait of the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau by Allan Ramsay.
The Grounds and Gardens
The hall is surrounded by a beautiful park with woods, open grassy areas, lawns, and lakes with a boat house. There's also an arboretum (a collection of trees) with 18th-century maple trees. Many interesting structures are found in the grounds.
The Chapel and Its Gates
The chapel was designed by William Smith and updated in 1887. It is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. The chapel is built of brick on a stone base with stone details and a slate roof. It has a main area (nave) and a rounded end (chancel), with a bell tower. The doors and windows are round at the top. Around the top of the chapel is a decorative ledge and a railing with square pillars.
Inside the chapel, the original box-like pews were replaced with pews facing each other. At the west end is a raised family seating area. The walls have special clay panels by George Tinworth. The altar screen is made of mosaic with an alabaster frame. It was made by Salviati and is based on an old painting.
To the southwest of the chapel are gates and gate piers. The gate piers are from the 1900s, and the gates are from about 1750. The gates are made of wrought iron and were crafted in Milan. They are wide with arched centers and have fancy panels showing Saint Andrew with his cross.
Other Interesting Structures
- The Lake Bridge: The bridge over the lake was built around 1843. It's made of brick with stone details. It has five arches and brick pillars between them. Along the top of the bridge is a stone railing.
- The Icehouse: This building is from the 1700s or early 1800s. It's made of brick and has a circular, domed room. A passage leads from the arched entrance into this room.
- The Summer House: This small building used to be the bell tower of the chapel. It has a gold flag with the date 1722 on it.
- The North Lodge: This building at the north entrance was designed by Blore around 1843. It's made of brick with stone details and has a felt roof. The lodge has a three-story square tower with two-light windows. The top of the tower has a decorative border and a railing with pointed decorations. The roof is curved with a ball decoration and a flagpole.
Ancient Earthworks
Even though the earlier hall and chapel are gone, you can still see the remains of their foundations in the ground. There are also earthworks from a nearby deserted medieval village. The platform for the old chapel, which is about 20 meters (66 feet) by 6 meters (20 feet), is still there. There are also many earthworks where the old hall stood. To the east, you can see the outlines of about seven medieval houses. There's also evidence of an old medieval farming system. All these earthworks are protected as an ancient monument.
Why Capesthorne Hall is Important
Capesthorne Hall, along with the wall around its entrance and the chapel, are listed as Grade II* historic buildings. This means they are "particularly important buildings of more than special interest." This is the middle of three grades for listed buildings.
The gates and gate piers near the chapel are listed at Grade II. The bridge over the lake, the icehouse, and the north lodge are also Grade II listed. Grade II means they are "buildings of national importance and special interest."
Experts have commented on the hall's design. Some note that the towers on the front look solid from the front but are open on the sides. Others have said that while the front is grand, the back of the house is less dramatic.
Visiting Capesthorne Hall Today
Capesthorne Hall is part of the Historic Houses Association. The hall, chapel, and gardens are open to the public at certain times between March and October. There is an admission fee, and you can buy refreshments.
The hall and gardens can also be rented for special occasions like weddings and company events. There are often special events organized at the hall and in the grounds. There is even a caravan park on the grounds.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Cheshire East
- Listed buildings in Siddington, Cheshire
