| Summary : The remains of a country house known as Gibside Hall. Although the visible external form of Gibside Hall is that of an early 19th century country house, parts of the internal structure of the house are of the 17th century. A 16th century inventory of contents exists for an earlier house on the site, although no fabric has yet been identified as predating the 17th century. The earliest identified building fabric is from a Jacobean country house erected by William Blakiston between 1603 and 1620. The house surrounded a courtyard on its east, south and west sides. The fabric of this house can be identified by its rubble masonry construction, which is evident on the internal wall faces (the external faces were refaced in the 19th century). The 17th century house was three storeys high; an illustration of the house in the 18th century shows it at this height with a pitched roof. Works on the house in the 18th century are characterised by the extensive use of brick on internal faces of walls. George Bowes (the owner from 1722 to 1760) had the kitchen of the 17th century house demolished and a new kitchen built. The north wall of the 17th century house was rebuilt and the courtyard enclosed to create a further room. He also added a range of service rooms onto the east of the house, which were later remodelled between 1773 and 1776 by the then owner John Lyon to form a range of service rooms around a courtyard. Some of these alterations have been attributed to the architect James Paine. In the first decade of the 19th century the house was reduced from three to two storeys and two window bays were added to the south front. The whole house was faced with ashlar and tall battlements with large, blind cross loops were added to the tops of the wall. After the death of the 10th Earl's widow in 1860 the house was seldom occupied by his successors. The house was gutted in 1920 and has been ruinous since then. |
More information : NZ 1760 5890 Gibside [T.I.] (1)
Gibside: "The first recorded owners of this stretch of forest ...
were the Marley family who held it in 1200...". They so continued
till 1540, when the estate passed to Roger Blakiston ... Gibside
remained the home of his descendants till 1713...
"The house itself is essentially that built by William Blakiston
under James I, possibly incorporating yet earlier parts. The south
front is stated to have been rebuilt c. 1805 ...". The interior of
the house was dismantled in 1920. (2)
Gibside. "The Hall, 1603-20 and 1805, has a three-storeyed
symmetrical E. front with four mullioned and transomed bay and a
central porch with columns... The big top parapet with its broad
battlements belongs to the remodelling of 1805, as does the whole
long, west front, ... and the north wing." (3)
Additional Bibliography. (4-5)
Still known as Gibside, but has not been occupied these last seventy
years. (6)
"The information by Authy. 6 is correct. The estate is owned by the Earl of Strathmore. The chapel (NZ 1719 5825) is the only building still in use, and is open to the estate workers on the second Sunday
of each month, for private worship.' (7b)
Gibside is accurately described by Authy. 3, except that the bays
and porch are on the south front, not the east. This S porch bears
the inscription "WIB AP.12.1620 and B.S. 1805" and has been built
with an upper floor to make it symmetrical with the four bays. Set
into the face of this upper floor to the porch, is a coat of arms
and a sundial. The whole of the building is in a ruined condition,
and is roofless.
The 25" AM is incorrect. G.P. F/54/104/3 Gibside looking N.(7)
Gibside Hall. Gde II
Gibside Chapel and Mausoleum built 1760-1812.
Grade I. Restored by National Trust 1965. (8-9)
NZ 1760 5890. Gibside (NR). (10)
NZ 1719 5825. Chapel (NAT).
No change but the preferred name for the hall is Gibside Hall (c).
See ground photographs.
Published survey (1:2500) revised. (11)
Gibside Estate.
10/106 Gibside
1.2.50
G.V. II*
Large house. 1603-20 for William Blakiston; enlarged mid-C18 for
George Bowes; 1805 top floor removed, original porch reconstructed
and high battlemented parapet added for 10th Earl of Strathmore.
Ashlar sandstone. Main block: two storeys, 5 bays. Central square
projecting bay contains 3-centred-arched door in Tuscan doorcase
with tall plinths; cartouche flanked by figures above entablature;
plaque below entablature inscribed WB 1620 and BS 1805. Mullioned
and transomed 6-light windows in bays either side and above door;
2 lights in returns of bays and set back at left. High battlements,
those above bays 2 and 3 containing cross slits. Later wing projects
at right: 2 storeys, 4 bays: stone mullioned and transomed
2-light windows. Roofless at time of survey. Sources: C. Hussey
'Gibside, County Durham' I and II in Country Life Feb. 8 and Feb.
15, 1952, 354-357 and 422-425. Durham County Council catalogue
Streatlam and Gibside The Bowes and Strathmore Families in Co.
Durham 1980. (12)
Additional reference. (13)
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