Listed Building: STUTTON HALL (277546)

TM 13 SW STUTTON STUTTON PARK 4/94 Stutton Hall 22/2/55 GV II* House, said to be circa 1553 for Sir Edmund Jermy. A large timber framed house with C19/C20 red brick facing and C19/C20 west extensions. Red plain tile roofs. The original house with gabled wing to north east has 3 noteworthy chimneystacks, each with 4 circular shafts with different Tudor mouldings, moulded bases and cappings, one to the east wall and 2 to south wall, 2 similar reproduction stacks have been added to the western extensions, one to the west wall and one to the north west gable. 2 storeys, attics and cellar. The north face with original gable to east, C20 flat roofed extension leading to a gabled stair turret at re-entrant angle to north west gabled wing west of which is a further extension with roof hipped to east. 1:1:2:1:2:2 window frange of various casements with mullions, some with transoms. A wall, qv 4/95 attached to east and west of this face encloses a square garden with a gatehouse in its northern face, suggesting that the original entrance to the house was opposite and to the west of the original gable. South face: Roof hipped to east and west with 5 gabled dormers, one between original chimneystacks and the other 4 to west. There is a gabled stair turret to east of the original building chimneystack with one diagonal shaft attached to the east wall. A C19/C20 gable breaks forward to west of the original range with a 2-window range to west. 8 first floor and 6 ground floor various casements with mullions and transoms, that to western gable, first floor a 5-light oriel with carved brackets and surround. C19/C20 gabled porch to west of stair turret with double panelled doors, sidelignts and tripartite light over. This side looks across a topiary garden toward the River Stour. Interior: The roof of the original building where visible is of arch braced side purlin construction. Some of the huge jowled storey posts are visible particularly in the north wall and east wing. Excluding the attics most ceilings are of moulded plaster of 6 panels with moulded beams and cornices. Some beams with moulded bosses, panel designs usually various fleur-de-lys and roses, some fine vine and foliage friezes, some ceiling panels repeat the frieze design. Ground floor: The hall is panelled, the 8-panelled doors have cocks-head hinges. Grape and vine frieze, moulded beams, fleur-de-lys and rose panelling to ceiling. Moulded stone fire surround, overmantel with central 2-tailed merman and scrolled foliate decoration. A later 2-bay arcade of timber has fluted columns with moulded and carved bases and Ionic capitals supporting a moulded beam with ball finials to moulded bosses. To east of this arcade the stair entrance dado is similarly panelled and the frieze and ceiling mouldings continued. The staircase with turned newels and balusters continues through to the attics with centre newel. The dining room to west, has similar panelled dado and doors, moulded ceiling and moulded stone fire surround, the spandrels carved with foliage and coat of arms. In one corner is a panelled closet. The huge storey posts and a mullion window are visible in the north wall. In the hallway to north and backing onto the closet is an original moulded and nailed vertically boarded door with heavy iron catch, which leads to the cellar. The east wing has 2 main rooms, the billiard room with 6-panelled ceiling, moulded beams, ornate fleur-de-lys panels with bosses, moulded frieze. Moulded and plastered fire surround with mantel shelf and overmantel panel moulded with scrolls and border. The room adjacent to billiard room has a 6-panel ceiling with fleur-de-lys panels and bosses to the moulded beams. The moulded stone fire- place with shelf and carved overmantel panel, this with end and central shields of arms and 2 boat-shaped heraldic beasts each with 2 heads facing inward towards a central finial. First floor: The main drawing room, formerly the Great Chamber, is above the hall, the 6-panel ceiling has moulded beams with bosses, the panels are coved with patterns of thin ribs and moulded pendants, the frieze decoration delicate in comparison to the others. Fluted wall pilasters with moulded bases and carved foliage capitals. Moulded stone fire surround, 4 carved faces and central shield of arms to overmantel panel. Small bedroom moulded beams to panelled ceiling, moulded rectangular frames, moulded frieze. Fireplace with fluted ½ columns, bases and composite capitals, moulded soffit to shelf, cast iron hob grate, 2-panel door. East wing bedroom. Panelled throughout. 6-panel ceiling, moulded beams with bosses, fleur-de-lys and rose decoration to panels, vine and grape decoration to frieze. The storey posts treated as panelled pilasters with moulded plaster capitals. Probably stone bolection moulded fire surround with cast iron hob grate. Wood arcaded overmantel with frieze and cornice. Mullion window. There is a pump in a wooden case with lever type handle and spout emerging from the top of the case attached to the wall of the C19/C20 build. The house passed from the Jermy's to the Tollemache family, then to Thomas May, later to the Earl of Dysart and then the Catt family, C20 to the Fison and Strott families. N Pevsner, 'Suffolk', 1961 E Sandon, 'Suffolk Houses', 1984, which gives a copy of an engraving by T Higham in The Excursions, 1818 (page 210) and photographs of south face (page 211) the upper drawing room (page 211) and a fireplace overmantel (page 145). White's 'Directory of Suffolk', 1844. Listing NGR: TM1403233702