Early 16th century site of Waltons (EHER 4868)

Two-storied, brick house, probably built in the first half of the 16th century on an H-plan with cross wings at the north and south ends.

The central block was rebuilt or altered, probably in the 17th century. In the 18th century a block was added on the west side and the south wall of the south wing was re-faced in brick. There is some 17th century panelling, a fireplace c1700, 2 stable blocks of the early 17th century, a 17th century doorway and chimney stack. <1> The west block was gutted by fire in 1954. Most of the 16th century house has been demolished and replaced by a post- 1954 house, Walton's Park. Stable block survives, not outstanding. Site Assessment = Most of medieval and later house demolished. <2> Stables listed as part Waltons Cottages, an early 17th century brick stable block, an 18th century stable block. <3> Other ref: <4> - <6>. LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES and LANDFORM Waltons is 1 km north-east of the centre of Ashdon village, bounded by the east by the county boundary, to the north by tree belts, to the west by a byway and to the south by the minor road from Ashdon to Steventon End. The area is approximately 60 hectares. The site is relatively flat, but rises to the east of the house with distant views to the west from the top of the slope. ENTRANCES and APPROACHES There are no lodges. The main entrance is a short driveway through young woodland ( a few mature beeches survive) from the minor road south of the house. The drive continues north past the house, along a tree-lined drive (elm until the 1970s, now replaced with lime), ultimately connecting with the Ashdon to Bartlow road. PRINCIPAL BUILDINGS The Elizabethan house, extensively modified by the 18th century, was demolished after severe fire damage in 1954. A new house was built on the same site, but with its main entrance on the east side, requiring excavation of part of the slope to form the drive and parking area. To the south, two ranges of cottages and stables of 17th to 18th century date survive, the east block being originally continuous with the former house (the wall at the north end has been rebuilt where its connection with the fire damaged mansion was severed). GARDENS and PLEASURE GROUNDS There are three distinct compartments. a) West of the house. The west façade of the new house fits exactly between two quadrant flank walls in 18th century brick, each with an original arched opening, curving out to the west. There are beds against these walls, and a large lawn between. Mr Edmund Vestey extended the two quadrant walls to curve round to meet the drive, which is separated from the main lawn by a yew hedge and a low brick wall with artificial stone coping (probably 20th century). b) North of the house is a walled garden (18th century brickwork in Flemish bond, 13.5 ins thick, 10-12 feet high, basal plinth, two course string course under battered coping; one section on the east side is a crude later patch in older re-used bricks). There is a terraced walk above the lawn on the east side, and another below it on the west side, with flower beds. The main lawn is very level, possibly for bowling or croquet. There is a substantial Quercus ilex in the north-east corner. The central section of the north wall was removed by Mr Vestey to extend the garden into part of the kitchen garden beyond, with a new wall extending diagonally north-west to divide it from the productive area. This extension is edged with beds. c) East of the house is a grassy bank formed during the rebuilding. To the south-east is a woodland are (‘The Rookery’, much of which was destroyed in the 1987 gale) with some fine surviving beeches, as well as oaks and horse chestnuts. It is flanked to the north by a young sycamore plantation. There are two long narrow lakes (both dredged and re-dammed by Mr Vestey) fed by a stream running in from the east. At the top end of the lower lake is an arched rusticated grotto in stone too overgrown with ivy to discern much detail. The upper lake is narrower, but has a short protruding arm adjacent to the dam. The stream flows into the upper lake through a long brick culvert, the upper end of which has collapsed. There are no obvious signs of paths. There is a large area of laurel at the upper end of the lower lake flanking the grotto, and other scattered evergreen planting (mainly yew). PARK This has woodland on the east side (Home Wood) and woodland belts to the north (neither examined). To the west a narrow tongue of woodland follows an excavated cutting containing two narrow ponds (not examined). Between these ponds and the drive is a substantial dead oak pollard, 21 feet (6.4. metres) in circumference below the burr. There are three surviving roundels east and north of the house, all containing laurel and young colonisers (formerly mature elm). From the high point to the east, the kitchen garden is partly screened by a small copse (surviving mature oak and beech). Most of the park is now paddock. KITCHEN GARDEN This is a large rectangular walled enclosure north of the house. The brickwork is 18th century, the walls similar in height and built to those in the walled garden described above. The west end has been incorporated into the pleasure ground (see above), separated from it by a diagonal wall. Much of the area is now lawn, showing various ill-defined irregularities. There are two modern lean-to glasshouses outside the south wall, on older 13.5 ins thick brick bases. The garden wall has been raised to take these glasshouses, with a series of shuttered ventilation openings, above or cutting through the original coping string course. The east house contains a substantial vine, externally rooted. Inside the kitchen garden, backing onto the west glasshouse, is a small boiler house with the scar of a demolished chimney visible on the wall above. In the wall angle just west of the glasshouses is a small brick potting shed.