Stanwick Hall is a largely Georgian grade II* listed building located in the western end of the village of Stanwick, in the North Northamptonshire district, in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England.The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire (1961 Nikolaus Pevsner; 1973 revised Bridget Cherry; 2013 with Bruce Bailey) A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840 (H Colvin)
History The houseearliest reference to house being referred to as Stanwick Hall is 1854, in a marriage announcement for George Gascoyne's eldest daughter Frances, Northampton Mercury, Jan 7th was originally constructed in the C17, possibly earlier. Evidence of this original building is scant but survives:
The cellars/basement predate the house constructed above, the west elevation of which features a pair of dateable C17 3 light stone mullion windows This is corroborated by a C19 Victorian pencil sketch,George Clarke's sketches held by Northamptonshire Records Office which not only records the extant mullion windows, but also a doorway of the same era accessing the cellar/basement midway between them. This doorway was subsequently blocked, with no external trace remaining for many years, before being reinstated in around 2010 A 1722 "notice to lett" for the original C17 houseTo be Lett and Entered on immediately. At Stanwick in Northamptonshire a very good House containing four Rooms on a Floor, with Barns, Stables, Brewhouse and Dovehouse, good Garden planted with Wall Fruit, and a Cherry Orchard well planted of about 6 Acres. Alſo about 24 Acres of other inclos'd Land, all adjoining to the ſaid House, to be either All or Part Lett with or without it. Note: 'Tis well ſituated in a good Air, within 2 Furlongs of the River Nyne, and every way convenient for a Gentleman, being one Mile from Higham-Ferrers, four from Thrapſton, four from Wellingborough, and ſix from Kettering. Enquire of the Reverend Mr Morton John Morton (naturalist) of Stanwick aforeſaid, or Mr Tho. Flawn of Attleborough, and know farther. Stamford Mercury newspaper, 1 Nov 1722 (broadly similar to future adverts relating to letting or selling the Hall) offers few clues to the form of the original building, other than "...four rooms on a floor...", which interestingly is carried over into the current building, described exactly as such in 1802,Notice to lett 1802 Northampton Mercury newspaper, Saturday 28 August some 60 years post rebuild. This may be a coincidence, but may also hint at extensive remodelling where internal walls were possibly retained, rather than full demolition and a complete 1740s basement-up new build. The presence of full-height C17 panelling with frieze decorated with scrolls in the central first floor room would also appear to be a significant, dateable remnant feature of the original house. However, as is explained below, the house suffered a major fire on 2 April 1931, with only the bare walls remaining.Northampton Chronicle and Echo - Thursday 2 April 1931 Either the effects of the fire were exaggerated & the panelling originates form the original house, or it was taken from another building and fitted during the rebuild following the fire, or even during the 1740s construction phase.
The Hall as it appears today was built in 1742-1743 for James Lambe (d.1761)History of Fairford Church: In Gloucestershire, 1763An Account of the Parish of Fairford (1791 R & R Bigland) by William Smith (1705-1747) at a cost of £750 (about £150,000 in modern terms.Bank of England )
William Smith was an acclaimed Architect and Builder and was the son of Francis Smith of Warwick. William Smith was involved as architect, builder or mason in many major projects, including the Radcliffe Camera, Catton Hall, Kirtlington Park, Thame Park and Stoneleigh Abbey, on which he worked with his father. Stoneleigh Abbey was immortalized by Jane Austen in her novel Mansfield Park, in which Stoneleigh Abbey becomes Sotherton Court.
After the death of James Lambe, Stanwick Hall was advertised as for sale on several occasions. The sale notice lists Stanwick Hall "...a modern, stone-built capital mansion...", a coach house, two dove houses, two barns, three 3-stall stables, two other stables with convenient outbuildings, a dog kennel and boiling house with constant running water. It included 30 acres of rich pasture in three closes (Nether Close, Dove House Close and Upper Close, called the Cherry Orchard). There were 15 acres at Stanwick Pastures, to the east of the village and a further 97 acres of arable, ley and pasture ground in the open fields around the village.Northampton Mercury, 17 September 1791
In its original C17 form the house was immediately adjacent to what was then the main road into Stanwick from the west, but in common with many country estates of the era, at some point the public road was moved to skirt around the perimeter of the property to the north. This probably occurred at the time of the house rebuild and the laying out of new landscaped 'pleasure gardens', along with walled gardens for fruit and vegetable production, all enclosed and hidden from public eyes behind newly constructed high stone walls (identical walls of the same era were erected around sections of the adjacent Ivy Cottage). The modest Ha-ha to the west of the Hall probably dates from this era also. Finally, with the completion of the 'New Road' in 1821https://www.northants-fhs.org/maps/ to link a new coal wharf recently built close to the village mill on the river Nene to Stanwick and onwards to Chelveston Northampton Mercury, 16th June, 1821 the main road from the west into the village took its final form, becoming the new northern perimeter of Nether Close.
In 1931, there was a major fire that started in one of the lower rooms. The owners escaped and no one was killed but the building was gutted. The building was placed on the English Heritage "At Risk" Register,English Heritage At Risk Entry with fungus growing on damp walls, roof tiles broken and roof timbers in danger of collapsing at any moment.
The building was purchased in 2007. A major restoration project started by the new owners was the subject of a BBC Restoration Home programme in 2011., BBC Restoration Home
Verified occupants 1743 James Lambe. Born 1692 in Hackney Middlesex, son of James Lambe, haberdasher, James was one of the few individuals who made money from the South Sea Company's Africa-South America slave trading. Having rebuilt Stanwick Hall, through marriage to Esther Barker whose family bought Fairford Park in 1650, his main home became Fairford Park where he became Lord of the manor 1761 Death of James Lambe at Fairford Park. Despite numerous properties appearing in James' will, none of them are recorded as being in Northamptonshire, suggesting James may have sold the Hall following its rebuild and his relocation to Fairford Park. 1791 Estate of 130 acres, including a house described as 'modern stone built capital mansion house' advertised to be sold on behalf of an unknown vendor. The Earl of Egmont. John Perceval, 3rd Earl of Egmont, (the brother of Spencer Perceval, who remains the only Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to have been assassinated.) is shown as the then tenant.Northampton Mercury, 17th September 1791 1801 George Gascoyne snr, born in nearby Great Addington appears on the Land Tax register for Stanwick, owing around £40 for that year (second only to the Rev. Pearce, who owes around £73).https://rushdenheartsandsoles.co.uk/Villages/landtaxStanwick.html This confirms the period where ownership of the Hall, adjacent Hall farm and Ivy Cottage, Stanwick are transferred from the Lambes to the Gascoynes (/Gascoyens/Gascoignes), as evidenced by the tithe mapStanwick Tithe map confirms this (although not the precise date) with relevant parcels of land marked "George Gascoyne Junr Esqr (Late Lambs)" 1802 "George Gascoyne senr Gent. of Little Addington" advertises the Hall for rent Northampton Mercury 28 Aug 1802 "...now in the occupation of the Rev. Mr [Philip Castel] Sherrard" and moves to the adjacent Ivy Cottage Following the Enclosure Acts, which came to Stanwick 1834-8,Northampton Mercury p5, 19th July 1865 the Gascoynes becomes one of the five major landowners in Stanwick. 1841 Death of George Gascoyne senr. 1841-61: censuses George Gascoyne jnr .(farmer) Frances and family, resident Stanwick Hall 1863 Death of George Gascoyne jnr. Contents of Hall auctioned, including "The genteel and excellent Drawing, Dining, Bedroom, Kitchen and other FURNITURE, BEDDING, CHINA, GLASS, EARTHENWARE, BOOKS, PIANO-FORTE…"Northampton Mercury, 6 June 1863 1865 Stanwick Hall to let "with or without a little grass land..." by George Goodhall GascoyneField magazine, 30 Dec 1865 1870 Cecil Wetenhall resident, Stanwick Hall.Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette, 20 January 1870 1871 census: Cecil Wetenhall (living off property dividends) and family resident at the Hall. 1873 Start of the 1873-96 Great depression of British agriculture 1881 census: Thomas Somes (farmer of 606 acres) & family resident at the Hall. 1882: Thomas and James Somes.Northampton Mercury, 3 February 1883 1887 Michaelmas: Joseph Baxter takes on tenancy of Stanwick Hall and Hall farm. Owner of both (and Ivy cottage) confirmed as Robert Loyd-Lindsay, 1st Baron WantageNorthampton Mercury 15th Sept 1888 1891-1911 censuses: William James Backwell (farm and cattle dealer Sarah Blackwell and family resident the Hall 1915 Colonel Fawcett resident Stanwick Hall.Northampton Mercury, 2 April 1915 1918 Walter Denton, farmer, acquires Stanwick Hall, Hall farm, Ivy Cottage and two cottages Northampton Mercury 17th Jan 1941 1921 census: William Blackwell (farmer) and son resident, the Hall. Elizabeth Blackwell (widow & mother of William) and daughter Annie resident Ivy Cottage. 1936 Walter Denton sells Stanwick Hall and Hall farm, but retains Ivy cottage as his residence.Northampton Mercury, 16 Oct 1936 Ivy cottage now separated from Hall and Hall farm for the first time in generations 1936 PH Lamb, Bedford, new owners of Stanwick Hall and Hall farm. 1939 England and Wales register: Richard G Skinner (farmer) tenant of the Hall. July 1977 Stanwick Hall and Hall farm auctioned for sale by PH Lamb of Bedford. Tenant Richard G Skinner retires from farmingGrantham Journal 15th July 1977 2006–present: The Russell family.
Likely or unknown occupants 1722 A large unnamed Stanwick house, the description of which is very similar to how future to let or for sale advertisements describe what will become known as Stanwick Hall, advertised to let, by unknown owner. Enquires to Reverend John Morton (naturalist) of Stanwick, or Thomas Flawn, Attleborough.Stamford Mercury, Nov 1 1722 1731 William Lambe the elder, attorney at law, recorded resident of Stanwick, address not given. Born in Great Addington, son of Robert Lambe, nephew to Rev. John Lambe, (Rector of Church of St Laurence, Stanwick 1673-1717, last resident of Stanwick rectory, prior to its 1717 rebuild in a style very similar to the future Hall: The Old Rectory, Stanwick) William has his first Stanwick-born child, also William, baptised at Stanwick Church. The relationship between James Lambe of Hackney/Fairford Park and the Northamptonshire Lambes remains unproven, and although unlikely, may be coincidental. However, one of the beneficiaries of James' will of 1761 is given as "...my couzin Robert Lambe..."England and Wales Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1854 There are at least two Great Addington Robert Lambes alive at the time of James' death, but any relationship between them has yet to be established.