Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire: the book room fireplace

NOTES: The house dates originally from c. 1640, when it was begun and possibly designed by its owner Sir Thomas Chicheley. It subsequently underwent many alterations. From 1693-1710 a detached orangery to the rear and a service wing were added. From 1713 James Gibbs added wings and library to the north-west. In 1742-1745 the central block was reroofed and the elevations reconstructed by the architect Henry Flitcroft. Another wing was added on the garden side to balance the library. Between 1791-1806 the interiors were remodelled by John Soane The last phase was the extension of the east and west wings by H. E. Kendall (senior) in 1842 (largely demolished in 1953). The house was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1976. The book room, as it was known, was created in 1806 by enlarging Gibb's old ante-library into one bay of the adjoining orangery. See RIBA158775 for a colour version of this image.