Denston Hall

Description

A fine early C18 house with a long range of C16 buildings at the rear, the remains of an early C16 house which is known to have stood on the site. The Hall has an interesting history. In 1564 Henry Cheyney made over the manor of Denston to William Burd without licence to alienate from the crown. Estate was therefore forfeited in 1565 but later returned. William Burd died in 1591, and by 1602 the estate had passed to his son, but was again seized by the crown, for debt and leased to Sir John Robinson. In 1617 it was bought by William Robinson, in whose family it stayed until the early part of the C19. The front part of the Hall is early C18, red brick and blue brick headers, with a parapet and a raised brick band. 2 storeys and attics. 2:5:2 window range on the east front, 3 window range on the inner faces of the wings (some blocked), and 4 window range on the south front. The windows are double-hung sashes with glazing bars in flush cased frames. A raised brick band runs between the storeys. A central Ionic porch projects on the front with fluted columns and a cornice. Roof slate, mansard, with 3 pedimented dormers on the main front, the centre dormer has a segmental pediment. The interior has a good circular hall with rooms to the left and right of it, circa 1770. The left hand room opens on to the staircase with a screen of 2 columns. The ceilings have Adam style ornamentation. The staircase has early C18 twisted balusters. At the rear of the C18 house there is a long range of C16 red brick buildings, part of the original house. It has brick mullioned windows with Tudor arches and brick hood moulds, also Tudor arched doorways with boarded doors with fillets. At the south end there is a fine room with moulded beam and joist ceiling with an embattled frieze and carved spandrels to the arched braced tie beams. There are some linenfold panels with heads in roundels. The room may have been used as a chapel. Roof tiled, with a chimney stack with 2 diagonally set shafts. (Listed Building Report)

Denston Hall. Original hall was surrounded by a square moat - shown on a C19 copy of an estate map of 1676, and on a map of 1778. W arm of moat only shown as surviving on 1:10560 map of 1958; modern 1:10000 map shows the W arm as a dry depression. Illustration of the Hall 1676 shows a tall brick gatehouse of late C15 early C16 type in the middle of the east side, attached to a ? timber-framed range fronting the moat. Stretches of crenellated walling linked this range with two small brick turrets at the NW and SW corners.
The gatehouse had been demolished by 1778 but the corner turrets still seem to be shown.
Present hall is an early C18 brick structure, but at the rear of this, along the western edge of the moat is a long brick range of C16 or Tudor date. This has brick mullioned windows and arched doorways. At the S end there is a room with a moulded beam and joist ceiling with an embattled frieze and carved spandrels to the arch-braced tie-beams. Also some linenfold panels with heads in roundels. Suggested that this may have been used as a chapel.
Manor acquired by John Broughton (d. 1479) through marriage with the daughter of John Denston. Held by his widow, Anne, until her death, 1481 and then by his brother, Sir Robert Broughton, d.1505 (will as of Denston proved 1507 PCC); Sir Robert succeeded by son, John (d. 1517) and grandson, John (d. 1529). Widow of John Broughton married 1526 John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford. Glass with Russell arms at the hall. (Suffolk HER)