This information is taken from the statutory List as it was in 2001 and may not be up to date.
TL 14 NW MOGERHANGER Park House (Formerly listed as: 348/3/19 MOGGERHANGER HOUSE) (Formerly listed as: 31.10.66 PARK HOSPITAL
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Country house, later hospital. C18 core, refurbished by Sir John Soane 1790-99 for Godfrey Thornton and further altered by Soane for Thornton's son, Stephen between 1806 and 1811. Brick, faced with Parker's metallic stucco, originally coloured to imitate stone. Mansard roofs with slate coverings. Style: Generally retrained design, but with typically Soaneian use of developed Classical motifs, and unusual spatial arrangements.
PLAN: Rectangular plan, formed by a 3-storeyed central range, with 2 storey and attic blocks to the SW, SE and NE sides, and a single storey bock to the NW. Single-storeyed service wing of stock brick adjoins to SW.
ENTRANCE FRONT: 2 outer wings each have one window per floor. Ground floor windows set within central 3-storeyed block with 5 windows to first floor, 3 to narrower top floor, which is surmounted by a Coade Stone balustrade. Similar balustrade to central single storey vestibule bay with single window to flanking porch. Semicircular hexastyle Doric porch with partly fluted columns. Part-glazed double doors flanked by single lights. All windows, apart from dormers are sashes, many with semi-circular heads, glazing bars and crown glass. Modillion eaves cornices and string courses to this and other elevations.
GARDEN FRONT: 2:3:2 glazing bar sashes to ground and first floors, those to the former full-length. 6 box dormers with sash windows to attic. Slightly-projecting central bay with paired pilaster strips, surmounted by shallow pediment with antifixae. Full-width verandah on openwork supports to ground floor breaks forward at central bay. LEFT SIDE ELEVATION has 2 storey verandah of wood and cast iron. RIGHT SIDE ELEVATION has 3 blind windows and a semi-circular headed sash. Early C20 canted bay. Rear elevation to SERVICE WING has 3 semi-circular headed windows and a 6-panel door within a door case set below semi-circular fanlight. Projecting bay with semi-circular headed window and 2 massive 3-stage chimney stacks, each with stone pilasters and semi-circular headed blanks at the base. Remaining section with C20 alterations to north and west elevations.
INTERIOR: Entrance Hall with contemporary stone fireplace with Greek Key decoration, and 4 6-panel doors. Stair Hall with shallow cantilevered staircase with elongated S-shape ironwork balusters and stone floor. Library with cornice, 6-panel doors, shallow recess and chimneybreast of c.1790. The adjoining room, formerly the entrance hall of 1791 with c.`79` cornice, extended 1811. The Conference Hall, formed from the Music Room and Drawing Room of the C18 house, retains modified and debased coved cornice. A marble fireplace with Tudor rose c.1791 moved from Library in 1806; another with pilaster strips of 1811, both with mid-C19 mantle shelves. 2, 6-panel doors. Moulded plasterwork to Dining Room ceiling, and in an adjacent room, 3 cupboards with original shelving. Service staircase with iron balusters. Administration Room with 2 alcoves. First floor with semi-circular landing to stair with ceiling rose, beaded cornice and 4 curved doors. Boudoir with built-in cupboards with shelves to 3 cornices and a C20 replacement chimneypiece in the remaining angle. Ceiling subdivided by beaded ornament. One bedroom with contemporary marble fireplace with reeding and floral paterae. Cymated cornice. Another bedroom retains a marble fireplace with pilaster strips.
Bathroom with egg and dart cornice.
NOTE: The cellars and second floor could not be inspected because of structural problems apparent at the time of inspection.
HISTORICAL NOTE: Godfrey Thornton was a Director of the Bank of England. The extensions for his son were carried out at a cost of ?21,000.
SOURCES: Boutwood, J: Mogerhanger Park: Bedfordshire Magazine: 1956, Vol 5 No. 38. Stroud D: The Architecture of Sir John Soane: London 1961: Inskip P and Jenkins P: Mogerhanger House, Bedfordshire, a historical summary with illustrations: 1994.
Listing NGR: TL1354148665
This is part of the Series: IOE01/0383 IOE Records taken by Norman D Chappell; within the Collection: IOE01 Images Of England
© Mr Norman D Chappell. Source: Historic England Archive
This photograph was taken for the Images of England project
Photographer: Chappell, Norman D
Rights Holder: Chappell, Norman D
Brick, Slate, Stucco, Stuart Service Wing, Georgian Domestic, Counting House, House, Dwelling, Hospital, Religious Ritual And Funerary, Health And Welfare
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