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Summary

Grade II listed country house created in mid 18th century but originating as a hunting lodge, perhaps of the 17th century

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1319567: EDGECOMBE NURSING HOME, HAMSTEAD LODGE - ERROR IN NAME (NO LONGER CURRENT)
• Registered Park or Garden (II) 1000525: Hamstead Marshall Park

Other Statuses and Cross-References

• Old Listed Building Ref (pre 1984) (II): Map No 25 3/82 Hamstead Marshall Lodge Now Edgecombe Nursing Home
  A large irregular house of C.1720, much enlarged and altered in early C.19 and later. Plastered walls with slated roof and plastered stacks. Close parapets and moulded eaves cornice. 2S. And attic. Flat string course. Sashes. Ten window front. Large open pillared porch on W. with entablature and fanlight to doorway. Close wood porch and forestair on N. Interior not inspected.

Monument Type(s):

• HUNTING LODGE (17th century to 18th century - 1601 AD? to 1775 AD?)
• COUNTRY HOUSE (18th century to Late 19th century - 1720 AD to 1900 AD)
• NURSING HOME (Cold War to Late 20th century - Present - 1967 AD? to 1987 AD?)

Full Description

The listing description describes this as a country house in a landscaped park with gardens, dating from 1720 <1>. The Victoria County History illustrates it <2> and notes it was a 'keeper's house or hunting lodge, enlarged at a comparatively recent date.' Stokes has researched the history of the house <4>, noting that it is marked on Rocque's map <5> as The Lodge, but cannot have been a significant domestic building in the late 18th century, as it was not named on an estate survey of 1775 <6>. Recent restoration work at the house apparently uncovered brickwork and roundels from the 17th century, but it must have been used in connection with hunting in the surrounding deer park at this time. Hamstead Lodge was the certainly principal house in the park at the time of Gray's history <3>, when it was described as having been erected as a shooting lodge, but having been enlarged from time to time.

The Cravens did not use the Lodge as their principal residence, although the second Earl's mother lived there in the mid 19th century. Tenants leased the house until 1916 when the fourth Earl's mother-in-law moved in; his widow lived there from the 1920s until her death in 1961. The house was leased to a nursing home from 1967 to 1987, but then returned to family occupation for new owners, and was renamed Hamstead Park.

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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