Buntingsdale Hall
Encyclopedia
Buntingsdale Hall is a historic country house in the parish of Sutton upon Tern
, to the southwest of Market Drayton
in Shropshire
, England
. It became a Grade II* listed building on 14 February 1979.
and the Mackworth family between 1719 and 1721. The plans for the building were drawn up by the London architect and surveyor John Prince, although it was completed by Francis Smith of Warwick
. Documents have revealed that Mackworth may have encountered a dispute with Prince and dismissed him and hired Francis Smith to complete the building.
Herbert Mackworth later sold the hall to his cousin William Tayleur
, who subsequently owned the property for many years. He gives his name to Tayleur Drive, the road that leads to the hall.
In 1986, during the time that a survey was conducted of the property, it was reported that a number of furnishings had been stolen from the hall. By 2000 the hall was in disrepair and was placed on the Historic Buildings at Risk register. Subsequently it was renovated and was finally removed from this register in 2004.
Over the years the hall has been owned by many different families but the current owners are Mackworths, direct descendants of Bulkeley Mackworth.
dressings, featuring some fluted pilasters and a Corinthian stone doorcase consisting of pilasters, each supporting a section of entablature. The rainwater heads are emblazoned with the Mackworth arms and crest, and an acanthus ornament at the junction of pipes and cornice, and straps have the initials "BM" and the date "1721".
The north wing is dated to 1857, with identical east and west fronts, when the staircase was moved and the full-height entrance hall was created. The entrance hallway has black and white stone flooring and bolection-moulded panelling up to first floor level with cornice. The first-floor gallery above with turned balusters is raised to centre, and the central first-floor doorway is made up of fluted pilasters and an open triangular pediment. It features a stone fireplace with cable-fluted Ionic columns. The dining room features a rich cornice with vine trail and egg and dart enrichment that was added in 1857, when the fireplace was removed. The ballroom also features the same style as the dining room, with rich plaster panelling.
A garden was initially laid out with the house, covering an area of 16 hectares. The River Tern
passes to the north of Buntingsdale Hall, with the main garden retaining wall west of the house, and an apsidal bow overlooking the pond. The grounds were altered several times during the 18th and 19th centuries and walled gardens, a kitchen garden (to the north), grassland (east), large fishpond and boathouse (west), and woodland (to the south) were added. By the end of the 19th century, a new entrance from the north and a lodge had been added.
Sutton upon Tern
Sutton upon Tern is a civil parish in Shropshire, England. It is situated south of Market Drayton, on the River Tern....
, to the southwest of Market Drayton
Market Drayton
Market Drayton is a small market town in north Shropshire, England. It is on the River Tern, between Shrewsbury and Stoke-on-Trent, and was formerly known as "Drayton in Hales" and earlier simply as "Drayton" ....
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It became a Grade II* listed building on 14 February 1979.
History
Buntingsdale Hall was first built for Bulkeley MackworthBulkeley Mackworth
Bulkerley Mackworth was a notable landowner from Shropshire. The Mackworth family were a major family in Shropshire in the 17th and 18th centuries. He is best known for ordering works in the Market Drayton area, namely Bulkeley Wing and Buntingsdale Hall...
and the Mackworth family between 1719 and 1721. The plans for the building were drawn up by the London architect and surveyor John Prince, although it was completed by Francis Smith of Warwick
Francis Smith of Warwick
Francis Smith of Warwick was an English master-builder and architect, much involved in the construction of country houses in the Midland counties of England...
. Documents have revealed that Mackworth may have encountered a dispute with Prince and dismissed him and hired Francis Smith to complete the building.
Herbert Mackworth later sold the hall to his cousin William Tayleur
William Tayleur
William Tayleur was an English Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1832 to 1835.Tayleur was the son of John Tayleur of Buntingsdale and his wife Penelope Pearson, daughter of Thomas Pearson of Tottenhall, Staffordshire...
, who subsequently owned the property for many years. He gives his name to Tayleur Drive, the road that leads to the hall.
In 1986, during the time that a survey was conducted of the property, it was reported that a number of furnishings had been stolen from the hall. By 2000 the hall was in disrepair and was placed on the Historic Buildings at Risk register. Subsequently it was renovated and was finally removed from this register in 2004.
Over the years the hall has been owned by many different families but the current owners are Mackworths, direct descendants of Bulkeley Mackworth.
Structure
The house is dated "1721" on the lead downpipe straps. It was extended and altered by Samuel Pountney Smith of Shrewsbury in 1857. It is a three-storey red brick building with red sandstone ashlarAshlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
dressings, featuring some fluted pilasters and a Corinthian stone doorcase consisting of pilasters, each supporting a section of entablature. The rainwater heads are emblazoned with the Mackworth arms and crest, and an acanthus ornament at the junction of pipes and cornice, and straps have the initials "BM" and the date "1721".
The north wing is dated to 1857, with identical east and west fronts, when the staircase was moved and the full-height entrance hall was created. The entrance hallway has black and white stone flooring and bolection-moulded panelling up to first floor level with cornice. The first-floor gallery above with turned balusters is raised to centre, and the central first-floor doorway is made up of fluted pilasters and an open triangular pediment. It features a stone fireplace with cable-fluted Ionic columns. The dining room features a rich cornice with vine trail and egg and dart enrichment that was added in 1857, when the fireplace was removed. The ballroom also features the same style as the dining room, with rich plaster panelling.
A garden was initially laid out with the house, covering an area of 16 hectares. The River Tern
River Tern
The River Tern is a river in Shropshire, England. It rises north-east of Market Drayton in the north of the county. The source of the Tern is considered to be the lake in the grounds of Maer Hall, Staffordshire...
passes to the north of Buntingsdale Hall, with the main garden retaining wall west of the house, and an apsidal bow overlooking the pond. The grounds were altered several times during the 18th and 19th centuries and walled gardens, a kitchen garden (to the north), grassland (east), large fishpond and boathouse (west), and woodland (to the south) were added. By the end of the 19th century, a new entrance from the north and a lodge had been added.