Details
SJ 3612-3712 ALBERBURY WITH ROWTON
CARDESTON C.P.
14/47 Rowton Castle and
29.1.52 attached stable courtyard
(formerly listed as
Rowton Castle and
gateway)
GV II*
Country house. Circa 1700, for Richard Lyster, on site of medieval
castle destroyed in 1482, altered and extended in 1809-12 by George
Wyatt (1782-1856) for Col. Richard Lyster and further altered and
extended in 1824-28 for Henry Lyster and his wife Lady Charlotte Ashley
Cooper. Coursed Alberbury breccia rubble with grey sandstone ashlar
dressings; hipped slate roof. 5-bay C17 house, north-west front
remodelled and north-east wing added in 1809-12, south-east (entrance)
front remodelled and porch added, north-east wing extended to south-east,
large circular tower added to south-west and service buildings added
1824-28; remodellings in a Tudor Gothic style. Basement, 2 storeys and
attic, and 3 storeys. South-east (entrance)front: chamfered plinth,
cornice,and coped parapet; 2 gabled dormers with 4-centred 2-light
casements; pairs of brick ridge stacks on rear range off-centre to left
and right, each with 5 octagonal brick shafts and external brick end
stack to left. Central block of 1:3:1 bays; wooden cross-casements
with chamfered reveals and returned hoodmoulds; central 3-storey break
(1824-28) with trefoil-headed panelled buttresses, first-floor cill
string, cornice to battlemented parapet, and brick end stacks, each with
5 octagonal brick shafts; central second-floor window with 2 four-centred
lights, Y-tracery, chamfered reveals, and returned hoodmould; first-floor
canted bay window with 1:4:1 four-centred arched lights, frieze with
plain shields, string courses, battlemented parapet, and flanking lancets
with cinquefoil heads and hoodmoulds with uncarved stops; 3 steps up to
deeply recessed 4-centred moulded arch with pair of nail-studded boarded
doors, trefoil-panelled spandrels, flanking trefoil-panelled buttresses,
moulded cornice, and pierced parapet with plain shields. Octagonal tower
to left with chamfered one-light openings, and slit opening in battlemented
parapet. Projecting gabled wing (1824-28) to right with plinth, cornice
and parapet,and octagonal corner turrets with chamfered offsets, string
course, corbelled-out battlemented parapet and slit openings on each
floor; 2-light attic casement and first-floor cross-casement, both with
returned hoodmoulds, 4-centred arched ground-floor window consisting
of 2 four-centred arched lights with glazing bars, cusped panelled tracery,
and returned hoodmould. Right-hand return front: 3 bays to left with
gabled dormers, first-floor cross-windows, and 4-centred arched ground-
floor windows consisting of 2 four-centred arched lights with glazing
bars, cusped panelled tracery, and returned hoodmoulds; 3-storey square
tower (Wyatt) to right with battlemented parapet, 2 second-floor 2-light
casements with hoodmoulds, and 2-storey canted bay with first-floor
mullioned windows, those to sides blind, and ground-floor tripartite,
glazing bar sash with flanking blind windows (evidence of probable
intention to have ground-floor mullioned windows too - see mullion stubs).
Rear: 1:3:1 bays, central full-height half-octagonal bay; 3-bay ashlar
loggia to left with moulded Tudor-arches,plain shields in spandrels, and
pierced battlemented parapet; 3-storey 2-bay square tower to left with
first- and second-floor casements and ground-floor glazing bar sashes;
large circular tower to right with brick dressings, corbelled-out
battlemented parapet and irregularly placed cross-windows and narrow
slit openings. 2-storey service block to south-west; red brick dressings;
cornice and stepped parapet, and projecting square corner towers with
plinths, corbelled-out battlemented parapets and slit openings; 4-bay
centre, 4-pane sashes with chamfered reveals; porch to left with chamfered
entrance, flanking buttresses, and corbelled-out battlemented parapet.
Lead downpipes and rainwater heads throughout. Stable courtyard:
coursed Alberbury breccia with red sandstone ashlar dressings and
grey sandstone ashlar chamfered coping; 2 sides of a square with gatehouse
to south-west; 2 square turrets in south-east range with string courses,
battlemented parapets and slit openings flanking blocked former
depressed-arched carriageway, now with inserted reused C13 doorway
consisting of moulded arch, hoodmould with carved stops, and nail-studded
boarded door with strap hinges possibly introduced from White Abbey (qv)
or Alberbury Castle (qv); gatehouse in south-west range with corbelled-
out battlemented parapet, central depressed-archway with hoodmould,
pair of nail-studded doors with strap hinges, and flanking rectangular
windows with chamfered reveals and returned hoodmoulds; flight of 15
stone steps adjoining the south-east range with trefoil-arcaded balustrade,
chamfered coping, and trefoil-panelled piers with urns. Interior:
mainly late C17 and early C18, and early C19. Hall; early C18 fittings
including bolection-moulded panelling with dado rail, fireplace with
bolection-moulded surround and panel above with flanking pilasters,
doors with 8 raised and fielded panels, panelled window shutters and
probably early C19 plaster dentil cornice and wreathed ceiling rose;
left-hand ground-floor room with early C18 fittings including bolection-
moulded panelling, dado rail, moulded cornice, and bolection-moulded
fireplace surround; ground-floor corridor with C18 bolection-moulded
panelling too; ground-floor left-hand rear room with C19 panelling
and C17 fireplace, heavily carved with foliage trails; pair of dragons
in frieze, guilloche-decorated band, carved cornice and triangular
pediment with pair of trumpet-blowing figures in the tympanum; ground-floor
right-hand rear room: saloon by Wyatt with curved corners, moulded plinth,
enriched dado, plaster panels with reeded surrounds, acanthus-enriched
cornice, enriched soffit with paterae and Tudor flower, plaster ceiling
rose, door architraves with bay-leaf ornament and corner paterae,
panelled window architraves, and 3-bay screen to central ground-floor rear
room with Ionic columns, entablature and segmental recess above; panelled
sliding doors to central ground-floor rear room, also probably decorated
by Wyatt with enriched frieze and Tudor flower ornament; staircase hall
by Wyatt: acanthus frieze to ground and first floors, 4-flight rectangular-
well staircase with partial cantilevering, open string, cast iron square-
section balusters, ramped moulded handrail, and wreathed newel post with
curtail; reused probably late C16 panelling in lobby with square-in-square
motif and carved foliage trails; ground-floor right-hand front room
(probably 1824-28) in a Gothic revival style with marble fireplace
consisting of depressed moulded arch with trefoil-panelled spandrels, flanking
twisted shafts and frieze with shields and Tudor- flower ornament, and Gothic
panelled doors, including pair of large doors to saloon with flanking
Tudor-arched recesses, heavy Tudor-arched pelments with pendants and
battlementing; service wing has C19 C17-style panelling with fluted
arches above, and C17-style staircase with alternating turned and twisted
balusters, moulded handrail, and carved square newel posts; C19 C17-style
back staircase with alternating turned and twisted balusters, moulded
handrail, and carved square newel posts; central first-floor room
with re-ordered C18 bolection-moulded dado panelling, and C17 fireplace
heavily carved with foliage trails, pair of dragons in frieze and
guilloche-enriched cornice. Detached service block (qv) to north-west.
The castle is an interesting example of how an early C19 architect like
George Wyatt (son of Charles) conceived classical interiors for a
Gothic building. The designs were exhibited at the R.A. in 1809 "as
about to be carried out"and in 1812 as "lately executed". V.C.H.,
Vol VIII (1968), pp. 201-2; B.O.E., p. 236; Colvin, p. 939; Burke's
and Savills Guide to Country Houses, Vol II, Hereford, Shropshire,
Warwicks and Worcester, Ed. Peter Reid, p. 111.
Listing NGR: SJ3789412739
