Moggerhanger House
Encyclopedia
Moggerhanger House is a Grade I listed country house in Moggerhanger
, Bedfordshire
, England, designed by the eminent architect John Soane
. The house is owned by a Christian charity, Harvest Vision, and the Moggerhanger House Preservation Trust, and has recently undergone a £6m refurbishment project with help from organisations such as the Heritage Lottery Fund
, English Heritage
, World Monuments Fund
and the East of England Development Agency
.
house. It was acquired by Godfrey Thornton, a Bank of England
director, who commissioned the Bank’s architect John Soane
to remodel it between 1790 and 1793. More substantial work would follow when Thornton's son Stephen inherited the house. Soane continued from 1806 until the scheme was completed in 1812 while the Bank of England reconstruction was under way. Soane remodelled Moggerhanger entirely, enlarging it to the west, relocating the entrance to the north and reproofing the house completely. He incorporated his previous work from 1793 maintaining symmetries and Classical axes. Soane experimented with decoration using it as a prototype for the future work. As most of this is now lost the recent restoration of Moggerhanger House put it forward as Soane’s design of tremendous significance.
The house was rendered by Soane using ‘Parker’s Roman Cement’ of biscuit-brown colour. This was a new material, patented hydraulic lime render
, of his time. The garden side of seven bays has a wooden veranda. In the centre is a shallow pediment on pilaster strips with sunk panels. The entrance has a low centre with a semicircular porch of Greek Doric columns of the Delos
type. The end bays have on the ground floor arched windows with broad Grecian pediment over. Behind the porch is a square entrance hall once with a shallow dome. The window bars are painted dark grey, which causes the window detail to disappear so that pure shapes of openings are clearly visible appearing like punch recesses. Inside there is an all-cantilevered staircase with simple iron balustrade.
The house was used as a hospital for most of the twentieth century. In 1919 it was opened as a TB
isolation hospital, and then became an orthopaedic hospital in the late 1950s. In 1960 it was renamed Park Hospital, but closed in 1987 when a new wing was built in Bedford Hospital
. From that point the house went into a state of disrepair, until 1995 when work on its restoration began. The restoration project took ten years to complete, and members of the local village and local churches volunteered help and support in order to complete the work and maintain the site whilst building contractors were working.
Free access to the grounds is available throughout the year.
Information is that the tea rooms and restaurant are now closed (Nov 2011), although they have said they may re-look at this in the future. They are planning to have a café run for the snowdrop season end January to mid February 2012 from the new Garden Room.
The house has become a centre of local community activities and its successful restoration has been a triumph for the local village and for Bedfordshire.
The Moggerhanger House Preservation Trust is currently trying to secure funds to restore Humphrey Repton’s 33 acres (133,546.4 m²) parkland surrounding the house.
Moggerhanger
Moggerhanger is a village in the English county of Bedfordshire. It is west of Sandy on the road to Bedford. it has a population of 636. In the twentieth century the village name was spelled variously as: Moggerhanger, Mogerhanger, Muggerhanger and Morehanger...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, England, designed by the eminent architect John Soane
John Soane
Sir John Soane, RA was an English architect who specialised in the Neo-Classical style. His architectural works are distinguished by their clean lines, massing of simple form, decisive detailing, careful proportions and skilful use of light sources...
. The house is owned by a Christian charity, Harvest Vision, and the Moggerhanger House Preservation Trust, and has recently undergone a £6m refurbishment project with help from organisations such as the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
, English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
, World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and training....
and the East of England Development Agency
East of England Development Agency
The East of England Development Agency is a non-departmental public body and the regional development agency for the East of England region of England....
.
History
Originally Moggerhanger had been a small GeorgianGeorgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
house. It was acquired by Godfrey Thornton, a Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
director, who commissioned the Bank’s architect John Soane
John Soane
Sir John Soane, RA was an English architect who specialised in the Neo-Classical style. His architectural works are distinguished by their clean lines, massing of simple form, decisive detailing, careful proportions and skilful use of light sources...
to remodel it between 1790 and 1793. More substantial work would follow when Thornton's son Stephen inherited the house. Soane continued from 1806 until the scheme was completed in 1812 while the Bank of England reconstruction was under way. Soane remodelled Moggerhanger entirely, enlarging it to the west, relocating the entrance to the north and reproofing the house completely. He incorporated his previous work from 1793 maintaining symmetries and Classical axes. Soane experimented with decoration using it as a prototype for the future work. As most of this is now lost the recent restoration of Moggerhanger House put it forward as Soane’s design of tremendous significance.
The house was rendered by Soane using ‘Parker’s Roman Cement’ of biscuit-brown colour. This was a new material, patented hydraulic lime render
Lime Render
Lime render is a lime-based cementitious mix applied to the external surfaces of traditionally-built stone buildings. It allows the building to 'breathe' - as lime is porous, it allows for the collection and evaporation of moisture...
, of his time. The garden side of seven bays has a wooden veranda. In the centre is a shallow pediment on pilaster strips with sunk panels. The entrance has a low centre with a semicircular porch of Greek Doric columns of the Delos
Delos
The island of Delos , isolated in the centre of the roughly circular ring of islands called the Cyclades, near Mykonos, is one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in Greece...
type. The end bays have on the ground floor arched windows with broad Grecian pediment over. Behind the porch is a square entrance hall once with a shallow dome. The window bars are painted dark grey, which causes the window detail to disappear so that pure shapes of openings are clearly visible appearing like punch recesses. Inside there is an all-cantilevered staircase with simple iron balustrade.
The house was used as a hospital for most of the twentieth century. In 1919 it was opened as a TB
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
isolation hospital, and then became an orthopaedic hospital in the late 1950s. In 1960 it was renamed Park Hospital, but closed in 1987 when a new wing was built in Bedford Hospital
Bedford Hospital
Bedford Hospital is a District General Hospital located in the English town of Bedford, serving north and mid Bedfordshire. It is run by Bedford Hospital NHS Trust.-Main site :...
. From that point the house went into a state of disrepair, until 1995 when work on its restoration began. The restoration project took ten years to complete, and members of the local village and local churches volunteered help and support in order to complete the work and maintain the site whilst building contractors were working.
The present
The house is now used as a conference and training centre for most of the year, but opens as a tourist attraction from mid-June to mid-September, during which time public tours are conducted twice daily.Free access to the grounds is available throughout the year.
Information is that the tea rooms and restaurant are now closed (Nov 2011), although they have said they may re-look at this in the future. They are planning to have a café run for the snowdrop season end January to mid February 2012 from the new Garden Room.
The house has become a centre of local community activities and its successful restoration has been a triumph for the local village and for Bedfordshire.
The Moggerhanger House Preservation Trust is currently trying to secure funds to restore Humphrey Repton’s 33 acres (133,546.4 m²) parkland surrounding the house.