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Monument Types

• COUNTRY HOUSE (Early Post-medieval to Modern - 1601 AD to 2050 AD)

Summary

The manor was bought by the Halfords in 1603; the H-plan house is of about that date. It was modernised in the late C18th.

Additional Information

<1> Historic England, National Heritage List for England, https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1061546 (Website). SLE7874.

Listed building description:
Grade II*
"WISTOW Wistow Hall,including flats, SP 69 NW 2/117 19.10.51 and, in wing, Brown's Flat, Dairy Cottage, Laundry Cottage, Brew House, Forge Cottage. GV II* Country house, now 11 dwellings. Early C17, with later C18 alterations, remodelled c1815. Colourwashed rendered brick and Swithland slate hipped roof with colourwashed rendered ridge and truncated side stacks. Plinth and parapet. H plan. Entrance front of 2.1/2 storeys of 7 6/6 sash windows, 3 in recessed centre. 5 3/3 sash dormers. On ground floor 2 6/6 sashes on each wing and 1 storey addition filling central section. Flat roof with low parapet. A 9/9 sash either side a French window/door with top lights. On the corners of each wing an octagonal turret buttress with stepped plinth and octagonal low conical roof. On left end the garden front with further 6/6 and 2/2 sashes. On left a ground floor bow window with 3 2/2 sashes and on right a 2 storey bow window with 3 2/2 sashes both floors. On right end a 1.1/2 storey wing with mainly C20 2-light wooden mullion and transom windows. Cambered brick lintels with keystones. Band and moulded brick eaves. Formerly outbuildings, this wing was converted to dwellings mid C20. Inside main range, in the Entrance Hall, a coved ceiling with later C18 stucco work. Above this is said to be the C17 roof. Staircase with later C18 wrought-iron balustrade. C17 panelling, some probably reset. Stone doorway with Tudor arch. Wistow was bought in 1603 by the Halford family and the basic house is probably of this period. Alterations, including the formation of the Staircase Hall, were made in the later C18. The remodelling c1815 included the formation of the corner turret buttresses and the entrance vestibule. Charles I stayed at Wistow before the Battle of Naseby and he and Prince Rupert left their saddles here when changing horses on their flight after the battle. They are preserved in the house."
Listed 19/10/1951

<2> Leicestershire & Rutland HER Comment (Unpublished document). SLE7873.

Some of the dwellings have separate records: MLE10673, MLE10674, MLE10675, MLE10676.

<3> Pevsner N, 1984, The Buildings of England Leicestershire and Rutland, p426 (Bibliographic reference). SLE4.

H-plan house with five-gabled front (as illustrated in 1807), probably built after the Halfords bought the manor in 1603. Modernised by Sir William Halford in the late C18th. The façade was Gothicised probably by Sir Henry Halford who inherited in 1814. Described now as "Stuccoed entrance front with a one-storey vestibule between projecting wings. Octagonal angle turrets with pepperpot tops and a parapet."

<4> 1964, A History of the County of Leicestershire: Volume 5: Gartree Hundred (Victoria History of the Counties of England), p336-345 (Bibliographic reference). SLE429.

Early C17th house, two storeys with attics, red brick with stone dressings (now stuccoed). Originally H-plan with a central hall between two cross wings. Principal front faced east, south wing contained the parlour rooms, the north wing the kitchen and service rooms. The coved ceiling in the hall has moulded brackets and side wall-posts from the C17th ceiling. Some C17th panelling is in first floor and attic rooms. When Sir Henry Halford succeeded to the property in 1814, the building was in poor condition. He drastically remodelled, adding hipped slate roofs with dormer windows set behind a tall parapet, small octagonal towers, etc. The second Sir Henry Halford (d. 1868) added bay windows and rococo decoration.

<5> Leicestershire SMR Comment, RPJ 08/1988 (Unpublished document). SLE7870.

Dates from early C17th with later C18th-C19th alterations. The main frontage has a range of seven sash windows, with five dormers above. The building is now divided into several flats. Repairs are needed to the stone chimneys, the gate piers into the stableyard and the steps up to the former granary. These two latter items are part of the coach house at Wistow which, although part of the group, has been listed separately Grade II. (App for grant aid)

<6> Leicestershire SMR Comment, RPJ (undated) (Unpublished document). SLE7870.

An icehouse, presumably near the lake - was investigated by persons unknown and a large quantity of bottles found. List in parish file. Slide photographs attached to record.

<7> 2016, National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) accessioning (Website). SLE4981.

SUMMARY: "Shown on map of 1632."
URL: 'https://nrhe-to-her.esdm.co.uk/NRHE/RecordDetail.aspx?pageid=45&he_uid=342341', accessioned 08/05/2025.

<8> Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 (6") and 10K historic mapping, 1928/50 (Map). SLE7243.

[SP 6415 9583] WISTOW HALL [GT]

<9> Hill, JH, 1875, The history of Market Harborough, p315 (Bibliographic reference). SLE6273.

At WISTOW HALL Sir Richard Halford furnished Kings Charles I with a place of refuge.
The saddle & sword were left at Wistow and the former is still preserved there.

<10> Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, Field Investigators Comments, F1 RLBW 19-AUG-53 (Website). SLE3488.

The exterior of Wistow Hall is modern but part of the interior of the house preserves the plan of the earlier house. (Oral: D.J. Bott F.L.A. Westcotes Library Leicester.)

<11> Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, Field Investigators Comments, F2 RLBW 19-AUG-53 (Website). SLE3488.

The saddle mentioned in T.2 and other 17th century remains are exhibited in Wistow Hall - which is used as an International rest and Recreation centre.
A map, dated 1632, hanging in a room of the house shows Wistow Hall existing then at approximately the same site.

<12> Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, Field Investigators Comments, F3 BHS 02-SEP-71 (Website). SLE3488.

Not outstanding.

Sources

Associated Finds

None recorded

Designations

• Listed Building (II*) 1061546: WISTOW HALL, INCLUDING FLATS, AND, IN WING, BROWN'S FLAT, DAIRY COTTAGE, LAUNDRY COTTAGE, BREW HOUSE, FORGE COTTAGE

Associated Images

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