Before and After: Must-See English Manor Home

It seems hard to believe that only a decade ago this handsome circa-1740 manor house surrounded by rolling countryside was a crumbling warren of hostel-like “bedsits” with a trailer park in its walled garden. In those days, the house and garden served as a makeshift campsite with entire rooms roped off because they overflowed with garbage. “The house was in near-derelict condition,” recalls Londoner Paul Townley, who, together with his wife, Gaynor, was attracted to the rugged northeast England countryside and boldly acquired the property in 2002.

Known as Thorpe Hall, the classical-style stone house in Wycliffe, County Durham, underwent a lengthy renovation. The trad-minded Townleys, with the assistance of talented designer Mark Gillette, realized their ambitious vision—a beautifully restored and decorated home that seamlessly weaves past and present. In 2010, their massive restoration of the house won commendations from England’s prestigious Historic Houses Association and The Georgian Group. Today the property sustains the Townleys’ sporty, country lifestyle of hunting, fishing, and shooting as well as entertaining. 

Photography: Francis Hammond

Interior designer: Mark Gillette, Mark Gillette Interior Design Ltd., Mollington Grange, Parkgate Road, Mollington, Chester CH1 6NP, UK; 011 44 124 485 1897, markgillette.com.
Garden designer: Arne Maynard, Arne Maynard Garden Design, 14 Baltic St. E., 2nd Floor, London EC1Y 0UJ, UK; 011 44 207 689 8100, arnemaynard.com.  

Front Entry

“Until all the bits go in, it isn’t really a home,” says Gaynor, who collects porcelain and early paintings and prints including the two 17th-century British ancestor portraits flanking the outer hallway.

The front door to the attractive entrance is crowned by a decorative fanlight. The unfussy Georgian facade has sash windows divided up by delicate new glazing bars mirroring the originals.

Drawing Room

To decorate the home’s interior, Gaynor turned to 20th-century icons Sibyl Colefax and John Fowler for inspiration. (There’s a well-thumbed copy of Chester Jones’s Colefax & Fowler: The Best in English Interior Decoration in her library.) “It’s an interpretation of the style,” Gillette says. “The quintessential English drawing room is about layers and subtleties.” 

Drawing Room

In the double-height drawing room framed by Doric columns, the mood is set with an attractive mix of English and French antiques. A curvy canapé (settee) is dressed in a sumptuously textured floral jacquard, and a pair of cushy sofas are wrapped in rich, olive-green velvet trimmed with deep bullion fringe.    

The elegant room is distinguished by its Doric columns and decorative plaster cornices; the “Venetian Damask” wallpaper is by George Spencer

Library Before

The library had dark green walls, red drapery panels, and white bookshelves.

After: Updated Look

The original carved fireplace mantel and marble surround define the room. Faux-suede wallpaper and emerald silk damask curtains by Lelievre frame the arched windows. The bookshelf exterior was painted a cool blue color while interior shelves were painted a complementary hue.

Inner Hall Before

Though the Georgian facade dates to 1743, a 13th-century tower that once occupied the property probably shaped an internal courtyard that also gave form to the rest of the house. 

After: Blue Beauty

Enclosed in the early 20th century, the Wedgwood-blue space is now called the inner hall. Sunlight streams through an octagonal cupola (or lantern) into the inner hall, which like almost every room in the house is graced with superbly crafted architectural elements—neoclassical Adamesque plasterwork, a delicate wrought-iron balustrade, a fireplace framed in marble with a crisply carved mantel, and arched niches for displaying sculpture. “The work was all carried out by local painters and craftsmen,” Gaynor says.

The internal courtyard was enclosed and incorporated into the rest of the house during the Edwardian period, but designer Mark Gillette took it to another level with elaborate plasterwork and a new chimneypiece as well as mirrors that give the illusion of an even bigger space. 

Kitchen Before

A focal point of the kitchen pre-update was a large fireplace dating to the 18th century.

After: Modern Kitchen

An 18th-century stone-arched fireplace now houses an Aga range in the original kitchen. Paul and Gaynor often gather with friends in the kitchen’s dining area. 

Kitchen Dining Area

Just beyond the kitchen island, a casual, accommodating dining spot exudes country charm.

Breakfast Room

The carved mantel, elaborate pediment, and ornate dentil cornice survived intact and just needed cleaning. A collection of intriguing 19th-century botanical specimens hang on the wall above a painted console. 

Dining Room

The decorating details sprinkled throughout the house are equally ravishing—rock-crystal sconces and chandeliers, hand-block-printed wallpaper, plus tasseled and fringed pillows covered in damask, needlepoint, and antique tapestries. The dining formal space features Farrow & Ball’s ornate “St. Antoine” damask wallpaper and the original chimneypiece.

Stairwell

On the ground floor, a dogleg staircase leads to a grand landing and lovely arched window fancifully dressed with fluted pilasters and a pediment.

Master Bedroom Before

The grand space had a lot of red going on.

After: Country Charm

“Waking up here on a Saturday morning is a joy,” says Paul, who enjoys a bustling house full of life—barking dogs, roaring log fires, and overnight guests sleeping under canopied beds in some of the 15 bedrooms (with nine bathrooms decked out as comfortably as sitting rooms).

The elegant, comfortable room has a 19th-century canted bay window, which is now framed by puddled curtains. 

Master Bedroom Detail

A crystal vase table lamp by Vaughan sits on an 18th-century Italian painted chest of drawers.   

Dressing Room

Homeowner Paul’s French-polished, mahogany-paneled dressing room by artisans Houghtons of York. 

Blue Bathroom

One of nine bathrooms in the home, this spacious room is defined by a cool blue-gray color scheme. A lovely wallpaper wraps the walls, while a coordinating paint color makes an appearance on the trim, the chair, and even the tub. 

Guest Room

One of 15 bedrooms at Thorpe, the flora bedroom's light green walls, framed botanical prints, and floral patterned drapery panels all make for a pleasing place to rest.

Neutral Bath

A twin vanity and "Oak Leaf" mirror in this bathroom are certainly beautiful, but an 18th-century Swedish chandelier over the tub is steals the scene.

Hunt Room Before

In the hunt room, there was room for cosmetic updates. The fireplace lacked lacked a proper surround. 

After: Upgraded Hunt Room

So immersed in country life is Paul that he’s been appointed high sheriff of County Durham. It’s largely a ceremonial role that requires a lot of entertaining, Gaynor says. But it’s one of England’s oldest offices, dating back more than a thousand years to Saxon times when duties included protecting the monarchy and collecting taxes.

Hunt Room

Painted in Farrow & Ball’s mossy gray “Mouse’s Back” and featuring a Victorian bird case, the hunt room offers country squire accoutrements—walking sticks, fishing rods, and Wellington boots. 

Entry Hall

The back entrance floor is paved in original black-and-white marble tile laid in a diagonal pattern. “We preserved what we could,” Gaynor says. 

Exterior Before

An expanse of green lawn surrounded the home.

After: Lively Plantings

Arne Maynard, a Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winner, designed the garden. Globe allium abound in this southwest view of the space. 

Garden

But even with a full house, the Georgian manor remains tranquil, which is a special part of its charm. “Thorpe Hall is a very still house,” says Gaynor, who relaxes on weekends in the orangery and garden designed by acclaimed garden designer Arne Maynard. “We spend every evening in the kitchen garden.”

Gorgeous Drive

The eight-year restoration project involved a lot of less glamorous work as well—the house required a new roof, for instance, and virtually every pipe and wire was replaced. The delicate Georgian glazing bars that divide up the sash windows, including the tall, arched windows, were also replaced. “About the only thing we didn’t touch is the exterior because it’s an official English Heritage listed building,” Paul says. 

Portrait

Homeowners Paul and Gaynor Townley in their vintage Jaguar in classic British racing green.

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