Gosfield Hall (EHER 6256)

Mid 16th century quadrangular house. The east front was remodelled about 1715, the south front remodelled about 1700 and the north front remodelled about 1788. Restorations were carried out about 1854-1881. The house mainly built of red brick with blue brick diapering and stucco facing to the north and south fronts. The roofs are of plain red tiles. A 19th century horse or donkey gear and adjacent well-house are present north of the house. The donkey gear stands in a hexagonal, open-sided structure and contains a wooden, 4-arm gin connected to a pump in the well-house.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 6256 and 29061. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Gosfield Hall (NAT). <1> This was, originally, a quadrangular mid 16th century house. This remains, substantially, but 3 of the 4 fronts were rebuilt or remodelled and the fourth was restored in the 19th century by Mr S. Courtauld. It was built in brick with some diaper work. The east front was remodelled soon after 1715. "The Tudorized upper storey is said to be the work of Earl Nugent who died in 1788, but it looks later". He remodelled the south and north fronts. The west and north sides facing the courtyard still have a Tudor look to them. Within there is some panelling and a 17th century fireplace "but nothing outstanding". "The splendid lake, nearly a mile long, was made by Earl Nugent" Site Assessment = At the time Pevsner was writing the house was threatened with demolition. <2> Gosfield Hall was originally a quadrangular mid 16th century mansion. The west range remains but the others were rebuilt in the early and late 18th century. Despite a considerable amount of 19th century restoration by the Courtauld family the west front remains an exceedingly impressive Tudor facade. The house stands in a park of about 300 acres with a fine lake of about 50 acres, made by Earl Nugent in the late 18th century. <3> Gosfield Hall. Originally built by Sir John Wentworth in about 1545. This source has a description of the house and its history-including the time in 1807 when it was the residence of Louis XVIII, exiled King of France. Photos in <4>. Four cast iron gas lamps in the courtyard are listed, also the brick ha-ha wall (18th to 19th century) south of the hall. This wall has statues and stone urns. The north lodge to the hall is also listed, early 19th century, in red brick. Mid 16th century quadrangular with east front remodelled for John Knight after about 1715. South front remodelled by Sir Thomas Millington about 1700 (Pevsner), north front remodelled for Earl Nugent prior to about 1788. Restorations for Samuel Courtauld (owner of Halstead weaving mills) about 1854 to 1881. RCHM 3. Grade I. Site assessment = The house has been restored and converted to a residential nursing home. <5> March 1975. Field visit. Gosfield Hall (name confirmed) is as described by the previous authorities. The park has been reduced in size but the house remains outstanding. A wheel house and well (probably 17th-18th century) are visible to the north of the hall at TL 77482979. Published survey (25") correct. <6> <7> 1998. Dendrochronological survey. The timbers from Gosfield Hall were the subject of tree-ring analysis. The results of this were that the attic gallery of the west range survives without any major alteration since it's first construction. Timbers from a contemporaneous north range roof, built in a different style, also survive, though this range has been much altered. Stylistically the west range roof has been dated to mid 16th century and there are parallels with other sites. The dendrochronological study shows both roofs to be made from young trees and dates the felling of these trees to the period AD1547 to 1583. <8> 2004. Survey. Built in the mid 16th century and altered in the 17th and 18th century Gosfield hall was briefly the home of Louis XVIII and his court. In 1854 it was purchased by Samuel Courtauld and adopted by his daughter until her death. During WWII it was used by the British Army after which it stood empty and started to deteriorate. In 1946, architect Marshall Sisson, alerted SPAB, to proposals by the new owners to demolish the Georgian wings and sell off the Tudor panelling. Essex County Council (ECC) served a preservation order, the owner countered with a large compensation claim. By the 1950s ECC asked for the order to be reversed and the future of the hall looked bleak. In 1951 the house, outbuildings and 50 acres went onto the market for £11,500 but to no avail. In 1952, the owner applied to demolish most of the house and convert the remainder into a piggery. This was refused by the minister, who confirmed a purchase notice served by the owner, requiring ECC to buy the house for £14,000, an unpopular move with the Council. In 1954 The Wayfarers Trust wanted to lease the house for a Nursing Home although some expensive repair and conversion costs were necessary. A year into the work the Wayfarers Trust pulled out for financial reasons. Resue finally came from the Country Houses Association (CHA) , established in 1955 to save decaying country houses and provide exclusive accommodation for the retired. In 1958 the house was converted into retirement flats. In 2003 the CHA went into liquidation and along with Gosfield seven other I and II* country houses were put up for sale. <9> Aerial photographs were taken of the parkland in 2024. <10> See also: <11> - <21>