Georgian Society for East Yorkshire

Sledmere House, East Yorkshire

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The original Sledmere house of 1751 forms the core of the more substantial house of the created in the 1790s. The neoclassical design by Samuel Wyatt and Sir Christopher Sykes, 2nd Baronet, is characterised by the repeated use of an unusual motif of arched recesses framing tripartite windows.

After the house was badly damaged by a fire in 1911, Sir Mark Sykes, 6th Baronet employed the Yorkshire Walter Brierley to rebuild it. Brierley initially wanted to reconstruct the whole building in the Baroque style in vogue with architects of his generation. The chapel is the only part of this first scheme to be built as Sir Mark insisted that Sledmere should instead be restored to its original design. The elaborate neoclassical plasterwork of the interiors was recreated using the original moulds; the recreation of Wyatt�s barrel vaulted library is probably the greatest achievement of this work. The Turkish room is a surprising addition to the house which Sir Mark made before the first World War; it features tiles from Damascus in peacock hues.

The orangery was completed in the twenty-first century. The exterior was designed by Francis Johnson, and makes use of the facade of a demolished orangery by Sir John Soane from Fairford Park in Gloucestershire.

Close by the house is St Mary's church which was rebuilt by Temple Moore in 1893-8. It is the largest of the "Sykes churches" which were rebuilt or restored by Sir Tatton Sykes 5th Baronet.

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