Interior
North Range
The principal entrance was originally on the north side, opening directly into the large reception hall - now the Dining Room - in the centre of the range. In the mid-18th century this was moved to the west elevation and entry is now into a panelled central passageway.
Opening from this to the south there is a panelled room with early 20th century bookshelves now used as the Library/Reception. To the north is a room with a high plain ceiling - now the Bow Room - fully panelled with a box cornice. This room was apparently used as a morning room on the Vicary plan but was the library in 1908 according to the illustrated Country Life article of that year.
The Dining room has panelled lower walls and a deep plain frieze where family portraits formerly hung below a coffered ceiling ornamented with egg and dart mouldings. The white marble fireplace with a swagged central mask appears to be the original. At the east end of this room are doors to the grand staircase and the old dining room, now the Morning room. This is panelled to dado height and silk covered above on battens. The north windows were originally blanked off internally to give more picture hanging space but these were revealed in 2005. It has an original white marble fireplace and a Rococo ceiling deeply coved and ornamented with flowing flowers and foliage.
At the back of the range and accessed from both staircase halls is the Justice Room - which appears to be the only room in the north range to retain its original fittings. It has a low ceiling and opposed 18th century doors of two fielded panels; the eastern is complete and retains its L-shaped strap hinges. The walls are covered to the height of the window transoms with reused oak panelling of early 17th century type. This frames a large 18th century fireplace of ashlar with projecting imposts and keystone.
The principal staircase occupies a spacious hallway rising through two storeys. It is a copy of the late 17th century original with a closed moulded string, twisted balusters and heavy moulded handrail, ramped at the corners. The walls are panelled to dado height, the doors have bolection moulded architraves and there is a copy of the ornate moulded plaster ceiling. The back stair at the west end of the house ruses the full height of the building and provides access to the roof. It is constructed in oak of open-well type, vernacular in style with a closed string, heavy turned balusters; massive handrail moulded on one side only and square corner posts with pendants and ball finials.
It gives access to two bedrooms at lower mezzanine level (unconnected with the rest of the range); one - formally a valet's room - is quite plain; the other - formally known as the oak room - has 20th century oak panelling incorporating reused Jacobean panels as a frieze - now known as bedroom 11. These have been sensitively restored and have a variety of knot and floral designs in low relief.
Opening off the mezzanine landing on the grand staircase is the Alcove room, so called for the raised western end of the room separated by a heavily carved archway stained dark brown; this would originally have housed a bed and is also known as the Solar. It has a bowed corner fireplace, bold acanthus leaf cornice and retained sash windows.
There is also direct access at this level to the Boudoir in the east range and a connecting bedroom/corridor. On the first floor there are just three principal rooms: the Chinese room, which has hand-painted Chinese wallpaper and an elaborate ceiling with flowers and foliage in high relief. For more detail go to Home of the Chinese Bird Collection. The Gallery - now known as the Ball room - in the centre of the range is plainly finished.
Leading off this is a passage to the north bedroom - known as the Reed Room - and attendant dressing room. The bedroom has a cornice of flowing reed blades which are also found on some of the follies within the park and cascades.
Access to the upper floors is by the back stair only; at upper mezzanine level, which is confined to the south-west corner of the range there are two bedrooms with banks of fitted cupboards, formerly Lord and Lady Wharton's bedrooms. The top floor was re-planned after the 1923 fire and now consists of a wide corridor running the length of the range with a series of en-suite bedrooms opening off it. The corridor has a coffered ceiling with an egg and dart cornice. The flat roof, post-fire, appears to be a concrete slab; pre-fire it was leaded on a framework of heavy oak beams.
