York Historic Environment Record

YORK SE54NE BISHOPTHORPE ROAD 1112-1/3/1237 (East side (off)) 14/06/54 Middlethorpe Hall (Formerly Listed as: MIDDLETHORPE Middlethorpe Hall) II* Country house, now hotel. c1700 with flanking wings of mid C18; altered extensively in early C19; altered further in C20 and restored c1980. For Thomas Barlow. MATERIALS: red brick in Flemish bond with ashlar dressings, rusticated quoins, plinth and storey bands and cornice of moulded stone: hipped slate roofs and brick stacks, some external, with stone cornices and weathering. Stone steps lead to central doors on both fronts. Both fronts have 3-bay attic centrepieces surmounted by the Barlow crest, an eagle displayed. EXTERIOR: front: 3 storeys with basement; 7 bays: set back at both sides are 1-storey wings. Basement windows are of 2 mullioned lights, some with small-pane windows, others partly blocked, in plain surrounds. Central pedimented Tuscan porch with front door of 6 raised and fielded panels and patterned fanlight in eared bolection moulded surround. Ground and first floor windows are unequal 15-pane sashes, second floor windows 12-pane sashes. Those in centre of first and second floors have eared and fasciated surrounds with moulded cornices: the others plain keyed surrounds with moulded sills. Attic centrepiece is panelled between pilasters and has moulded cornice. Rear: garden front similarly disposed as front, with 1-storey 3-bay flanking wings articulated by Composite pilasters. Two 2-light mullioned basement windows survive in centre block, others are squat 6-pane sashes, all in plain surrounds: in wings, windows are similar with segmental brick arches. Central porch has columns with palm leaf necking, frieze and cornice, double doors of raised and fielded panelling and patterned fanlight. Door surround, windows and window surrounds detailed as on entrance front. Centrepiece panels enriched with swags. Pilasters in flanking wings are raised on plain plinth band which forms the continuous sill beneath tall 18-pane sash windows in plain keyed surrounds, one in each bay. Pilasters carry entablature surmounted by brick parapet with stone balustrading over each bay. Returns are of 4 bays and partly obscured by added wings. Original windows correspond with those on main fronts. Throughout the house a number of windows are blind. INTERIOR: ground floor: entrance hall: stone flagged floor; black marble fireplace in bolection moulded surround; enriched bolection moulded doorcases with replacement friezes and doors; fielded panel shutters; dentilled cornice to coved ceiling. Room to left: fully lined in 2 heights of panelling between panelled pilasters; white marble fireplace surround with overmantel panel flanked by pilasters; doorcase with 8-panel door: all bolection moulded. Fielded panel shutters. Stairhall: black and white chequered floor; moulded round arch to entrance hall on panelled pilasters enriched with applied floral drops and with pulvinated frieze and moulded keyed cornice above; two carved doorcases with enriched pulvinated friezes, cornices and 8-panel doors. Principal staircase rises to first floor and is supported beneath third flight by fluted Corinthian column: staircase has fluted column balusters on carved bulbous bases and heavy moulded handrail ramped up to square panelled newels: tread ends and handrail are carved with foliage sprays: stairwell lined with matching panelled dado. Room to rear right: white marble fireplace flanked by alcoves: fireplace has pilaster jambs enclosing drops suspended from lion mask frieze blocks and cornice shelf enriched with flutes and paterae; alcoves have similar cornices and fluted jambs. Doorcases carved with acanthus, with 8-panel doors: fielded panel shutters; enriched cornice. Right (west) wing: white marble fireplace with panelled pilaster jambs and frieze incorporating mouldings of musical instruments and militaria; door and window cases are simply reeded; enriched cornice and dado rail; beaded panel shutters. Delicate plaster moulded ceiling decorations. Room to rear left: fully lined with panelling, some bolection moulded, incorporating eared marble fire surround and balancing round-arched centrepieces flanked by fluted Ionic pilasters; moulded cornice and frieze are enriched with acanthus carvings; doorcases likewise carved with acanthus, one with door of 8 moulded panels, one with 5-panel door; fielded panel shutters. Left (east) wing: smaller room is fully panelled. Secondary staircase rises from basement to attics and has close string, bulbous balusters, square newels with attached half balusters and heavy moulded handrail. First floor. Principal staircase landing has four bolection moulded doorcases and enriched dentilled cornice to coved ceiling with central plaster mouldings. Remainder of interior not inspected. RCHM record rooms on first and second floors fully fitted with fireplaces, panelling, cornices, doorcases, etc. HISTORICAL NOTE: between 1713-15 Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was a resident in the house. The house is a fine example of an C18 country house, finely fitted and remarkably complete. (RCHME: City of York: London: 1972-: 118-121). Listing NGR: SE5984948660