Capesthorne Hall

History

The original house and chapel were built in the early 18th century to Neoclassical designs by William Smith, working probably with his son Francis, replacing an earlier hall on the site. In the 1830s architect Edward Blore added a Jacobean-style frontage and joined the central block to its service wings, and around 1837 the orangery was replaced by a conservatory designed by Joseph Paxton. During the Second World War the hall served the Red Cross, and later restoration work followed a long period of decline.

Architecture

The house combines an early Georgian core by William Smith with 1830s Jacobean-style additions by Edward Blore, and was substantially rebuilt by Anthony Salvin after the 1861 fire, who broadly followed Blore's designs but reworked the rear elevation and interior.

Worth knowing

The conservatory added around 1837 was designed by Joseph Paxton, who later became famous for the Crystal Palace, and the hall was pressed into service by the Red Cross during the Second World War.

Gardens & grounds

The grounds include a chain of lakes, formal gardens reached through wrought-iron Milanese gates, and plantings that mix 18th-century specimen trees with maples and cherries.