Elton Hall

Description

Late 15th century moated courtyard house, rebuilt between 1662-1689. Only the chapel and gatehouse of the original house survive. The house was further altered prior to 1710 and remodelled in a Gothic style between 1780-1815. Circa 1885, the Gothic details were removed and and some of the later additions demolished. The north west cross wing was rebuilt at the same time, the north west wing refaced in stone and the main entrance restored to the north east facade. The chapel range was extended circa 1860 and further additions were made later in the 19th century. The upper storey of the 15th century tower was restored after a fire in 1894. The two and three storey house is an irregular T-shape in plan, built of limestone rubble and ashlar with stone slate roofs. (PastScape)

The late C15 work was done for Sir Richard Sapcote and perhaps his son Sir John. It consists of the gatehouse and in the same range the chapel undercroft. The gatehouse has a four-centred arch, and two quadripartite rib-vaults inside, preceded by a shallow entrance bay with two quadripartite vaults placed across, not along, i.e. rising to a middle ridge, each with its own apex. There are two tiers of two-light windows, and the top is embattled and strongly machicolated. Work preserved goes on a little to the E. The chapel undercroft is in the same range to the W. Of the chapel itself above the undercroft, some masonry no doubt survives, and also the Wend-gable and its pinnacles. The undercroft consists of two chambers each of two bays of rib-vaulting, the single-chamfered ribs growing out of the wall-shafts without capitals and forming tierceron stars. The bays are separated by four-centred transverse arches. Nothing is known for certain about the further extent of the house. One can assume that the Sapcotes' hall range lay N of the surviving range, separated from it by a courtyard. (Cambs. HER ref. Pevsner)