Listed Building: CROWE HALL (277533)

TM 13 SE STUTTON off LOWER STREET (south side) 5/81 Crowe Hall 22/2/55 GV II* House. Said to have been built circa 1605 for a member of the Bowes family, whose arms are carved on some panelling. The building was completely redesigned and altered circa 1824-26 for George Reade by Richard Beales of Lawford, Essex, whose various plans to convert the house to the Gothic style are retained by the present owner. The house is approached from the north by a long drive leading through a gateway in a walled garden, qv 5/82. The south face looks out over the River Stour. The house is stuccoed, crenellated and buttressed. Roofs, red plain tiles. North face: The lower, left range of 2 storeys, crenellated with crenellated polygonal buttresses to left and left of porch. Crenellated parapet verge to left return, octagonal chimneystack to apex. The taller, 3-storey right range has a roof hipped to right, crenellated parapet verge to left. Chimneystack with 4 attached octagonal shafts. Crenellated with crenellated polygonal buttresses to right and left. Plinth. 2:3:2 window range of small paned vertically sliding sashes, those to ground floor left and ground and first floor right with labels over. The porch is sited in front of the 3 centre bays. It is crenellated with central pediment embellished by a shield of arms, dated 1605. Arcade of three 4-centred arches, similar arches to returns. The inner doorway, moulded 4-centred head, 2 attached jamb shafts with moulded capitals and bases, flanking windows. South face:- Asymmetrical, of various levels. Parapet verge to left gable, crenellated with band under elsewhere. Polygonal buttresses with crocketed finials to most angles, those to left gable with 4-centred heads under a square head and label, blocked small window with similar head to attic. The adjacent bay to east (right) of 2 storeys, each with a similar window. 2-storey, 5-angled drawing room bay, the first floor central and flanking bays each with a window of 3 tall trefoiled ogee lights, vertical tracery over, under square heads with labels, above the labels are decorated panels. There is a small window to ground floor of inner left bay. Below the central window is a crenellated porch with polygonal panelled angle buttresses, moulded finials, 4-centred archway. Porch interior, stone floor, moulded cornice, door with 4-centred head, dentilled and moulded lower panels, glazed above. Set back to east (left) of the bay is a raised turret with a crenellated block with 2-light windows facing south, set in the re-entrant angle of the right wing. First floor of right wing, 2-light window under square head and label, similar French doors below. Internally the decoration remains almost intact, with original furnishings, wallpapers, chandeliers etc, with the exception of the conversion of the drawing room and billiard room into a single long living room, when the former breakfast room was converted into a billard room by adding a bow window (to west return). The panelled hall has panelled doors with moulded surrounds and a fine oval cantilevered staircase with wreathed handrail and stick balusters. Oval light over. Wall alcove to stairs. Bowed door to landing. 1898 William Morris wallpaper. There are several plastered ceilings, the 2 most noteworthy are in the principal bedroom and the upper drawing room. The former is C17 in high relief, said to be plaster on cork, oval centre-piece of swags interspersed with bearded faces, small winged angels in outer corners, to each side are elongated figures of angels, each with one arm raised and holding a wreath, border of swags, moulded cornice. Pilasters with moulded capitals and bases. It has been suggested that the ceiling was executed by the same craftsman who decorated William Sparrow's house (The Ancient House), Ipswich. The upper drawing room fills the whole of the angled bay south wing, the long windows opening onto the roof of the south porch. The frieze is elaborately decorated, the ceiling with fan tracery and pendants in the style of Henry VII's Chapel at Westminster Abbey. There is a fine Gothic fire surround of carved wood with its original cast iron grate and rail, there is also a Gothic surround to the panelled 4-centre arched door. An original chandelier is suspended from the centre ceiling pendant. Off the principal bedroom is a bathroom with Art Deco mosaics. Another bedroom has a moulded plaster ceiling and fireplace with panelled overmantel. The oval dining room with moulded frieze and crockets to barrel vaulted ceiling retains its claret coloured wallpaper and large stone Gothic fireplace. Flanking the entrance door on either side are the original mahogany sideboards that fit the curve of the room, table and chairs also original. Panelled doors with moulded surrounds. The former billiard and smoking room now separated by support columns with moulded capitals and bases. Stone 4-centre arched fireplace, Delft tiles to fireback, panel and arcaded overmantel with carved faces. Crowe Hall is one of the 6 Manors of Stutton. N Pevsner, 'Suffolk', 1961. E Sandon, 'Suffolk Houses', 1984. 'Country Life', 26.12.1957. Listing NGR: TM1528034214