While parliamentary soldiers were in Peterborough in 1643 during the English Civil War, they ransacked the cathedral. Parliament disposed of Church property to raise money for the army and navy and the parliamentarian Oliver St John bought the lease to the manor of Longthorpe and built Thorpe Hall. In 1654 it was described by the author John Evelyn as "a stately place...built out of the ruins of the Bishop's Palace and cloisters."[3]
A symmetrical composition in ashlar, rusticated quoins, with square, groups of rusticated chimney shafts; the north and south elevations are identical, three dormers, casements under pediments, the centre one semi-circular. A stone slate roof overhangs on modillions. There are seven windows, with plain stone surrounds to top and ground floors. The porch with Tuscan columns supports a balcony. The balcony window on the first floor has a segmental pediment and shouldered architrave. The windows of the second and sixth bays have pediments, while the others have frieze and moulded cornice. A band marks first-floor height. There is a flight of eight steps with balustrade supporting two urns.
The interior is complete, except for library or Great Parlour panelling now at Leeds Castle. There may have been two designers, Mills and John Stone, a French-trained son of Nicholas Stone.[4] Principal rooms have richly decorated fireplaces and plaster ceilings by Peter Mills. The principal staircase has heavily carved foliated open panels to broad balustrade. A stone screen on the landing was added in 1850 by Francis Ruddle of Peterborough.[5]
Thorpe Hall is situated in a Grade II listed garden that is open to members of the public throughout the year. The curved walls forming the entrance courtyard, gatepiers and entrance gates,[6] former stables to the right,[7] and a shouldered stone architrave gateway flanked by vertically halved pilasters with volutes[8] are also Grade I listed buildings. The late nineteenth century lodge,[9] octagonal summerhouse in red brick with fish scale slate roof,[10] and a free-standing archway resembling a Venetian window in design[11] are Grade II listed buildings.
A maternity hospital from 1943 to 1970, it was transferred to the National Health Service in 1948, coming under No. 12 Group (Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals Management Committee) of the East AnglianRegional Hospital Board.[12] In 1986 it was acquired by the Sue Ryder Foundation and is currently in use as a hospice.
^Longthorpe 1. 1500 Thorpe Hall TF 1901 13/57 7.2.52. I GV 2
^Brandon, David and Knight, John Peterborough Past: The City and The Soke (p. 17) Chichester: Phillimore & Co. 2001
^Davies, Elizabeth et al. "Civil war and a return to peace" in Peterborough: A Story of City and Country, People and Places (pp. 18–19) Peterborough City Council and Pitkin Unichrome, 2001
^Tim Mowl & Brian Earnshaw, Architecture Without Kings: The Rise of Puritan Classicism Under Cromwell (Manchester, 2015), pp. 111-6.
^Images of England No. 49711 National Monuments Record, English Heritage (retrieved 27 January 2008). See also Country Life XVL (p. 234) 1904, XLVI (pp. 300, 330 & 364) 1919
^LONGTHORPE 1. 1500 Walls, gatepiers & entrance gates to Thorpe Hall TL 1798 13/57C 7.5.73. I GV 2, see Images of England No. 49712 National Monuments Record, English Heritage (retrieved 28 January 2008)
^LONGTHORPE 1. 1500 Former stables to Thorpe Hall TL 1698 13/57A TL 1798 13/57A 7.2.52. I GV 2, see Images of England No. 49713 National Monuments Record, English Heritage (retrieved 28 January 2008)
^LONGTHORPE 1. 1500 Gateway from garden to stables of Thorpe Hall TL 1698 13/57E 7.2.52. I GV 2, see Images of England No. 49715 National Monuments Record, English Heritage (retrieved 28 January 2008)
^LONGTHORPE 1. 1500 Lodge to Thorpe Hall TL 1698 13/246 7.5.73. II GV 2, see Images of England No. 49717 National Monuments Record, English Heritage (retrieved 28 January 2008)
^LONGTHORPE 1. 1500 Summerhouse in grounds of Thorpe Hall TL 1698 13/57D 7.5.73. II GV 2, see Images of England No. 49716 National Monuments Record, English Heritage (retrieved 28 January 2008)
^LONGTHORPE 1. 1500 Archway in garden of Thorpe Hall to the south west TL 1698 11/57B 7.5.73. II GV 2, see Images of England No. 49714 National Monuments Record, English Heritage (retrieved 28 January 2008)
^Beatty, Gwendoline "Peterborough and District War Memorial Hospital 1928–1968" in Peterborough's Past Vol. 3 (pp. 45–56) Peterborough Museum Society, 1988
thorpe, hall, peterborough, this, article, about, mansion, peterborough, other, uses, thorpe, hall, thorpe, hall, longthorpe, city, peterborough, cambridgeshire, grade, listed, building, built, peter, mills, between, 1653, 1656, lord, chief, justice, oliver, j. This article is about the mansion in Peterborough For other uses see Thorpe Hall Thorpe Hall at Longthorpe in the city of Peterborough Cambridgeshire is a Grade I listed building 1 built by Peter Mills between 1653 and 1656 for the Lord Chief Justice Oliver St John The house is unusual in being one of the very few mansions built during the Commonwealth period 2 After a period as a hospital it is currently used as a Sue Ryder Care hospice Thorpe HallLocationLongthorpeCoordinates52 34 21 5 N 0 16 27 5 W 52 572639 N 0 274306 W 52 572639 0 274306OS grid referenceTL1705098600Built1653 1656Built forOliver St JohnArchitectPeter MillsListed Building Grade IOfficial nameThorpe Hall Former stables to Thorpe Hall Gateway from garden to stables of Thorpe HallDesignated7 February 1952Reference no 1126912 1126913 1126914Listed Building Grade IOfficial nameWalls gatepiers and entrance gates to Thorpe HallDesignated7 May 1973Reference no 1331545Listed Building Grade IIOfficial nameLodge to Thorpe Hall Archway in garden of Thorpe Hall to the south west Summerhouse in grounds of Thorpe HallDesignated7 May 1973Reference no 1161982 1309857 1331546National Register of Historic Parks and GardensOfficial nameThorpe HallTypeGrade II Designated14 January 1988Reference no 1000139Location of Thorpe Hall in Cambridgeshire While parliamentary soldiers were in Peterborough in 1643 during the English Civil War they ransacked the cathedral Parliament disposed of Church property to raise money for the army and navy and the parliamentarian Oliver St John bought the lease to the manor of Longthorpe and built Thorpe Hall In 1654 it was described by the author John Evelyn as a stately place built out of the ruins of the Bishop s Palace and cloisters 3 A symmetrical composition in ashlar rusticated quoins with square groups of rusticated chimney shafts the north and south elevations are identical three dormers casements under pediments the centre one semi circular A stone slate roof overhangs on modillions There are seven windows with plain stone surrounds to top and ground floors The porch with Tuscan columns supports a balcony The balcony window on the first floor has a segmental pediment and shouldered architrave The windows of the second and sixth bays have pediments while the others have frieze and moulded cornice A band marks first floor height There is a flight of eight steps with balustrade supporting two urns The interior is complete except for library or Great Parlour panelling now at Leeds Castle There may have been two designers Mills and John Stone a French trained son of Nicholas Stone 4 Principal rooms have richly decorated fireplaces and plaster ceilings by Peter Mills The principal staircase has heavily carved foliated open panels to broad balustrade A stone screen on the landing was added in 1850 by Francis Ruddle of Peterborough 5 Thorpe Hall is situated in a Grade II listed garden that is open to members of the public throughout the year The curved walls forming the entrance courtyard gatepiers and entrance gates 6 former stables to the right 7 and a shouldered stone architrave gateway flanked by vertically halved pilasters with volutes 8 are also Grade I listed buildings The late nineteenth century lodge 9 octagonal summerhouse in red brick with fish scale slate roof 10 and a free standing archway resembling a Venetian window in design 11 are Grade II listed buildings A maternity hospital from 1943 to 1970 it was transferred to the National Health Service in 1948 coming under No 12 Group Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals Management Committee of the East Anglian Regional Hospital Board 12 In 1986 it was acquired by the Sue Ryder Foundation and is currently in use as a hospice See also editLongthorpe TowerReferences edit Longthorpe 1 1500 Thorpe Hall TF 1901 13 57 7 2 52 I GV 2 Brandon David and Knight John Peterborough Past The City and The Soke p 17 Chichester Phillimore amp Co 2001 Davies Elizabeth et al Civil war and a return to peace in Peterborough A Story of City and Country People and Places pp 18 19 Peterborough City Council and Pitkin Unichrome 2001 Tim Mowl amp Brian Earnshaw Architecture Without Kings The Rise of Puritan Classicism Under Cromwell Manchester 2015 pp 111 6 Images of England No 49711 National Monuments Record English Heritage retrieved 27 January 2008 See also Country Life XVL p 234 1904 XLVI pp 300 330 amp 364 1919 LONGTHORPE 1 1500 Walls gatepiers amp entrance gates to Thorpe Hall TL 1798 13 57C 7 5 73 I GV 2 see Images of England No 49712 National Monuments Record English Heritage retrieved 28 January 2008 LONGTHORPE 1 1500 Former stables to Thorpe Hall TL 1698 13 57A TL 1798 13 57A 7 2 52 I GV 2 see Images of England No 49713 National Monuments Record English Heritage retrieved 28 January 2008 LONGTHORPE 1 1500 Gateway from garden to stables of Thorpe Hall TL 1698 13 57E 7 2 52 I GV 2 see Images of England No 49715 National Monuments Record English Heritage retrieved 28 January 2008 LONGTHORPE 1 1500 Lodge to Thorpe Hall TL 1698 13 246 7 5 73 II GV 2 see Images of England No 49717 National Monuments Record English Heritage retrieved 28 January 2008 LONGTHORPE 1 1500 Summerhouse in grounds of Thorpe Hall TL 1698 13 57D 7 5 73 II GV 2 see Images of England No 49716 National Monuments Record English Heritage retrieved 28 January 2008 LONGTHORPE 1 1500 Archway in garden of Thorpe Hall to the south west TL 1698 11 57B 7 5 73 II GV 2 see Images of England No 49714 National Monuments Record English Heritage retrieved 28 January 2008 Beatty Gwendoline Peterborough and District War Memorial Hospital 1928 1968 in Peterborough s Past Vol 3 pp 45 56 Peterborough Museum Society 1988External links editThorpe Hall Hospice 52 34 21 5 N 0 16 27 5 W 52 572639 N 0 274306 W 52 572639 0 274306 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Thorpe Hall Peterborough amp oldid 1221806186, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
