A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



i6th-centuiy wall-paintings, some discovered as 

 recently as 1951. A modern authority has described 

 their technical accomplishment as 'without parallel 

 among surviving examples in England'." 



The subsequent history of the house involved many 

 alterations, making it difficult to date accurately the 

 different parts of the building. The first major recon- 

 struction took place in the late 17 th and early i8th 

 centuries when the east range was rebuilt by Sir 

 Edward Smyth, and bt.^" The work was probably 

 completed by his son. Early in the 19th century there 

 were alterations and restorations by Sir William Smijth. 

 Soon after 1912, during the tenancy of Mrs. Charles 

 Hunter, the house was extended and the interior much 

 embellished by Mr. (later Sir) Reginald Blomfield.^' 

 In 1940 the explosion of a German landmine near the 

 west range caused considerable damage. In 1950—2, 

 when the building was being prepared for its use as a 

 prison, a thorough restoration was carried out by the 

 Ministry of Works under the direction of its Ancient 

 Monuments Inspectorate. 



As it stands today Hill Hall consists of four ranges 

 of building enclosing a central courtyard. In the main 

 it is of two stories, but at the ends of the south front 

 there are two tower-like projections, each of three 

 stories. A lower wing continues the line of the north 

 range at its west end, and north of this is a single-story 

 service wing. At the junction of the north and west 

 ranges there is an octagonal angle buttress. The pro- 

 jecting wing contains the remains of a gatehouse which 

 has a three-centred arch and a semi-octagonal stair 

 turret flanking it. All these features are typically Tudor 

 in character, and it is possible that they were the work 

 of Sir Thomas Smyth during an early phase of his 

 building at Hill Hall. One authority has suggested 

 that they were in existence before his time.^^ The north 

 range itself has mullioned and transomed windows and 

 in the centre are moulded Tudor arches leading into 

 the courtyard. At least one of the massive chimneys is 

 original. Internally the first-floor rooms of this range 

 are decorated with wall-paintings of Sir Thomas 

 Smyth's time representing the story of Cupid and 

 Psyche. These have been identified as copies of a set 

 of contemporary engravings after paintings by Michael 

 Coxie (b. i499).^3 They were probably executed by 

 a foreign artist. Each of the scenes has life-size figures 

 surrounded by a wide border of fruit and foliage. Parts 

 of two scenes were discovered in 1940 and presented 

 to the Victoria and Albert Museum. Three others, 

 which came to light in 195 1, have been restored and 

 left in situ.^ Traces of the painted border elsewhere 

 suggest that the series originally extended over the 

 whole first floor of the north range. At the north-west 

 corner of this floor and possibly at one time extending 

 into the west range is a set of biblical subjects. These 

 are at frieze level, probably indicating that the lower 

 part of the room was panelled. The two most complete 

 of the remaining pictures show Hezekiah at the temple 

 door and the destruction of Sennacherib. The latter 

 scene has always remained exposed and it is possible 

 that others were not papered over until early in the 19th 

 century. 25 Other early features in the north range 



include an oak staircase, possibly not in its original 

 position, a stop-moulded door-frame, and several 

 plastered fireplaces. An elaborately carved overmantel, 

 formerly on the ground floor,^* is now missing. At one 

 time the courtyard windows in this range contained a 

 quantity of stained glass, all reset.^' Many of the 

 heraldic subjects, including the arms of Smyth, the 

 Tudor Royal Arms, and the crowned badges of Henry 

 VIII and Elizabeth I, date from the time of SirThomas 

 Smyth. One scene from a set of the Seven Deadly Sins 

 described by Strype^* was still in existence in 1920. 

 The glass was damaged in 1940 and is still under 

 repair. Some has been reset in other windows of the 

 house. 



In the courtyard all four walls have a classical treat- 

 ment now generally believed to be the design of Sir 

 Thomas Smyth. It consists of a somewhat unorthodox 

 version of two superimposed Roman orders, Doric 

 below and Ionic above. The widely spaced Doric 

 columns stand on high bases and support an enriched 

 entablature resting on a row of modillions. The 

 imitation stone appears to have been renewed early in 

 the 19th century. 



Across the courtyard the south range contains the 

 great hall with the original kitchen adjoining it on the 

 west. Two kitchen fireplaces with massive arches were 

 uncovered in 195 1. Both these rooms, or parts of 

 them, originally extended to the height of two stories. 

 The chambers above are partly in the roof and have 

 16th-century brick dormers, whereas elsewhere in the 

 house the attics are modern insertions. The fittings of 

 the great hall were always classical in character. The 

 fireplace still exists and has half-round Doric pilasters 

 and a pediment. Its ornament includes a bust of Sir 

 Thomas Smyth and shields bearing his arms and those 

 of his second wife's family. Two oak screens have been 

 replaced by the present imitation marble columns.^' 

 The west screen had round-headed openings and 

 Corinthian columns on high bases. Above it are the 

 arms of Elizabeth I. The two-story screen on the 

 north side may have been altered in the i8th or early 

 19th century. It is said to have been used originally 

 for the display of a collection of armour which largely 

 disappeared at the time of the Commonwealth.^" 



The south front of this range has an applied classical 

 order with a deep entablature at eaves level and large 

 Doric columns at the angles of the two projecting 

 towers. If these last are the work of Sir Thomas 

 Smyth they represent an isolated and very early 

 example of the use of giant columns in this 

 country. 



The first extensive alterations to the house were 

 probably completed in 17 14, a date which appears on 

 the rainwater heads of the east front. The sash 

 windows on the south and west fronts may have been 

 inserted at this period. The north front was brought 

 up to date by the addition of a central pediment (now 

 missing), a Doric portico, and a clock turret sur- 

 mounted by a bell cupola. The absence of any older 

 work inside the east range suggests that it was built or 

 rebuilt at this time. Facing east a fine new fajade was 

 contrived in the style of Queen Anne and during the 



'» J. E. A. Roberts, Burlington Mag. 

 xxviii, 91. 



" Strype, op. cit. 172. 



" H. A. Tipping, in Country Life, xli. 



" Ibid. 



*3 Burlington Mag. Ixxviii, 86—92. 



" All inf. concerning the restoration of 



1950—2 was supplied by the Anct. Mons. 

 Inspectorate, Ministry of Worlds. For 

 photos, of the newly discovered paintings 

 see lUus. Lond. Ne-zvs, 5 July 1952. 



25 Penny Mag. 19 July 1845, 278. 



26 Hist. Mon. Com. Essex, ii, 236. 



" Ibid. The MS. records of the Hist. 



Mon. Com. include a complete list of the 

 glass existing in 1920. 



2' Strype, op. cit. 172. He gives 1569 

 as the date of this glass. 



^^ Country Life, xx, 22-25 has photos, 

 of the screens before alteration. 



3° Strype, op. cit. 172 n. 



280 



