Brocklesby Hall is a country house near to the village of Brocklesby in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The house is a Grade I listed building and the surrounding park is listed, also at Grade I, on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.

Brocklesby Hall
The hall from the air
Map
TypeCountry house
LocationBrocklesby, Lincolnshire
Coordinates53°35′11″N 0°17′00″W / 53.5865°N 0.2834°W / 53.5865; -0.2834
Built forEarl of Yarborough
Current usePrivate estate
WebsiteBrocklesby Estate
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameBrocklesby Hall
Designated25 October 1951
Reference no.1359800
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameHolgate Monument
Designated1 November 1966
Reference no.1063417
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameHunt kennels and house
Designated1 November 1966
Reference no.1166049
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameThe Hermitage
Designated24 January 1985
Reference no.1063418
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameMausoleum, wall and screen
Designated25 October 1951
Reference no.1063361
Official nameBrocklesby Park
Designated24 June 1985
Reference no.1000971
Brocklesby Hall is located in Lincolnshire
Brocklesby Hall
Location of Brocklesby Hall in Lincolnshire

History

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The 27,000 acre (113 square kilometre) Brocklesby Park estate has been in the possession of the Pelham family since the 16th century. A cadet branch of the Sussex Pelhams, Charles Pelham (c. 1679 – 1763) inherited the Brocklesby Estate from his father, and further land from his uncle.[1] Between 1708 and 1730, he extensively remodelled an earlier house on the site.[2] His great-nephew, Charles Anderson-Pelham (1749 – 1823), one of the richest commoners in England, was elevated to the peerage as first Baron Yarborough.[3] His heir, also Charles (1781 – 1846), was created Earl of Yarborough in 1837.[4] The father engaged Charles Heathcote Tatham to make extensions to the house, and Jeffry Wyatville drew up plans for a grandiose expansion.[a] These were not carried forward but James Wyatt did undertake some work on the estate, including the kennels and the mausoleum to Sophia Aufrere, Charles' wife, who died in 1786.[2] Charles Anderson-Pelham also employed Capability Brown to remodel the grounds, and Brown's work included the Newsham Bridge, to the north of the estate.[2]

In 1898, following a disastrous fire at the house, Reginald Blomfield undertook a major reconstruction, but most of his external work was removed in a drastic remodelling and reduction of the house by Claude Phillimore in 1957-1958.[6] The hall remains the private home of the Earls of Yarborough and is not open to the public.[7][8]

Architecture and description

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Nicholas Antram, in his Lincolnshire volume of the Pevsner Buildings of England series, revised and reissued in 2002, notes that the architectural history of the hall is complex.[2] The combined efforts of Charles Tatham, Jeffry Wyatville and James Wyatt are hard to disentangle. William Burn also made contributions in the later 19th century, but much was destroyed, externally and internally, in the fire of 1898.[6] Sir Reginald Blomfield undertook a "meticulous" reconstruction, but most of this work was later removed by Claude Phillimore.[2] The present house is a large rectangular block in red brick, with a nine bay, three-storey façade.[6] This is a remodelling of the west wing of the original house.[9] A one-storey wing, a picture gallery designed by Tatham, remains to the side. Phillimore created a new entrance in the angle of the main block and this gallery. Antram considers it, "the least successful part of [his] work" at Brocklesby.[2]

The stable block has a turret clock by John Harrison, an early example of a wooden clock dating from c.1722.[10]

Historic listing designations

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Brocklesby Hall is a Grade I listed building.[6] Its park is listed, also at Grade I, on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.[11] The estate contains a large number of listed structures, over 30 in total, including seven at the highest Grade I listing.[12][13] Those buildings listed at Grades I or at II* are listed below.

Name Location Photograph Date Notes Grade
Brocklesby Hall Brocklesby   18th - 20th centuries For the Earl of Yarborough[6] I
Holgate Monument South-east of the house   1785 By James Wyatt for the 1st Baron Yarborough, to commemorate a friend, George Holgate.[14] I
Hunt kennels and house South-east of the house 1810 By James Wyatt to house the hounds of the Brocklesby Hunt.[15] I
Church of All Saints South-east of the house   14th century The estate church.[16] I
Newsham Bridge North of the house   1772 By Capability Brown[17] I
The Hermitage South of the house   Late 18th century A garden house constructed of roots.[18] I
Mausoleum, wall and screen South of the house   1793 By James Wyatt for Charles Anderson-Pelham in memory of Sophia, his wife. She is commemorated inside with a statue by Joseph Nollekens.[19] I
Newsham Lodge North of the house   c.1800 Possibly by Jeffry Wyatville.[20] II*
Main stable block North-east of the house Late 17th/early 18th century Brick-built courtyard.[21] II*
Gateway to house North-east of the house Elaborate gateway with gatepiers attributed to James Wyatt.[22] II*
Orangery North-west of the house 18th century Attributed to Charles Heathcote Tatham.[b][23] II*
Conservatory South-west of the house 1785 Attributed to James Wyatt[24] II*
Garden Urn West of the house Late 18th century Probably by James Wyatt[25] II*
Arabella Aufrere Temple South of the house   1787 Probably by James Wyatt.[26] II*

Notes

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  1. ^ Jeffry Wyatville envisaged the construction of a huge Neoclassical palace on a three-court plan. He donated his plans and perspectives to the Royal Academy in 1824, where they remain.[5]
  2. ^ The Orangery contains a collection of Classical sculpture, moved from Appuldurcombe House, a property on the Isle of Wight which the Pelhams sold in 1855.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Pelham, Charles (c.1679-1763), of Brocklesby, Lincs". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Pevsner, Harris & Antram 2002, pp. 188–192.
  3. ^ "Anderson Pelham, Charles (1749-1823), of Brocklesby, Lincs". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Anderson Pelham, Charles (1781-1846), of Manby in Broughton, Lincs". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  5. ^ "Design for a Mansion for the First Earl of Yarborough, Brocklesby Park, Lincolnshire: aerial perspective, 1824". Royal Academy of Arts. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e Historic England. "Brocklesby Hall (Grade I) (1359800)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Brocklesby, Lincolnshire". Brocklesby Estate. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  8. ^ "Brocklesby Park". Parks & Gardens UK. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Brocklesby Park (Brocklesby Hall)". Retrieved Sep 25, 2024.
  10. ^ "The Harrison Timekeepers H1, H2, H3 and H4". Redfern Animation. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  11. ^ Historic England. "Brocklesby Park (Grade I) (1000971)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  12. ^ "Listed buildings in Brocklesby, West Lindsey, Lincolnshire". British Listed Buildings Online. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  13. ^ "Listed buildings in Great Limber, West Lindsey, Lincolnshire". British Listed Buildings Online. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  14. ^ Historic England. "Holgate Monument (Grade I) (1063417)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  15. ^ Historic England. "Hunt kennels and house (Grade I) (1166049)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  16. ^ Historic England. "Church of All Saints (Grade I) (1165503)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  17. ^ Historic England. "Newsham Bridge (Grade I) (1063419)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  18. ^ Historic England. "The Hermitage (Grade I) (1063418)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  19. ^ "Pelham Mausoleum". Mausolea and Monuments Trust. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  20. ^ Historic England. "Newsham Lodge (Grade II*) (1166070)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  21. ^ Historic England. "Main Stable Block (Grade II*) (1063413)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  22. ^ Historic England. "Gateway to house (Grade II*) (1165475)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  23. ^ Historic England. "The Orangery (Grade II*) (1317308)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  24. ^ Historic England. "The Conservatory (Grade II*) (1063409)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  25. ^ Historic England. "Garden Urn (Grade II*) (1165456)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  26. ^ Historic England. "Arabella Aufrere Temple (Grade II*) (1166061)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 September 2024.

Sources

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