Details
TF 8342
12/11
BURNHAM MARKET,
BURNHAM WESTGATE,
MARKET PLACE
Burnham Westgate Hall
(Formerly listed as Westgate Hall, Burnham)
5.6.53.
II*
Country house, now old people's home. 1783-5. Supposedly alterations and additions to an existing house inherited from his wife by Thomas Pitt, 1st Baron Camelford (1737-1793) himself an architectural amateur, but no earlier work surviving. Either by Sir John Soane (Colvin) or to Soane's designs by the Norwich builder and sculptor John de Carle (1750-1828) (Gunnis), the conservative nature of the design and especially of the interiors suggesting de Carle and Lord Camelford rather than the already high idiosyncratic style of Soane's contemporary Norfolk work Letton Hall (1783-9) and Saxlingham Rectory (1784-7).
Gault brick stone dressings, slate roofs, 2 storey 5 bay centre with 3 bay pediment, 2 storey single bay wings. 3 central bays have 2 ground floor, 3 first and 3 second floor windows, sashes with glazing bars under flat rubbed brick arches. First floor centre window with a stucco architrave with console brackets supporting a segmental pediment, outer windows have simple stucco string course above, all have stone balustrade recessed between 2 stone platbands running across the facade; second floor central window has stucco rectangular architrave surround, fixed sash in pediment. Outer bays slightly recessed, have one ground - one first - and one second floor sash with glazing bars under flat rubbed brick arches. At second floor above the outer wings the corners are further recessed. The 5 bays are united by a ground floor stone plinth, 2 first floor platbands, moulded brick modillion eaves cornice, with 2 massive long, 'low brick stacks. Central ground floor porch is c.1949 neo-Georgian replacement. Single bay outer bays brought forward on line with pedimented centre have single ground and single first floor sash, both with glazing bars and flat rubbed brick arch heads, the first floor with recessed balustrade base : ground floor plinth, 2 First floor platbands, modillion eaves cornice and hipped roofs. 3 bay returns with platbands and eaves cornice.
Interior: Ground floor at north has 2 bay dining room with somewhat retardataire plaster mouldings and bolection moulded fireplace; room at south has reused bolection fireplace with rococo wooden carving. Impressive Imperial staircase cantilivered from wall, stone treads, simple cast iron baluster with curved bulbous base, central arched window and arched niches in angles. First floor is piano nobile. Central room above entrance has moulded wooden dado and carved door architraves of mid-C18 pattern, 2 rooms to south with wooden dados and egg and dart moulded plaster cornices. No. 30 at south formerly with c.1800 perhaps Italian wall paper. C.1830 doorcase at head of landing, and to north 3 bay one and half storey room with tripartite ceiling with central rose and north and south doors c.1830, but fireplace in c.1790 style with early C19 grate. Room with deep coved cornice to north, another retardataire mid-C18 feature.
See Colvin, Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, (1978), pp. 639-640 (Lord Camelford), pp. 788 (Soane); R. Gunnis, Dictionary of British Sculptors (1954), pp. 125 (de Carle).
Listing NGR: TF8299842175
