Fulbeck Hall has been the home of the Fane family for nearly 400 years.
The estate was purchased by Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland in 1622.
The 1st Earl's main house was at Apethorpe in Northamptonshire and he gave the Fulbeck estate to his younger son, Francis. He constructed the first known house on a site next to the 15th century parish church.
However, the house seen today was built by his descendant, another Francis Fane, following a fire in 1733.
The house with its beautifully squared grey limestone ashlar facade resembles a town house set in the country. Features such as the architraves around the first floor windows suggest that Fulbeck may have been designed by the Stamford architect, George Portwood.
In 1784 the Hon. Henry Fane added an extension to the north which contained a new dining room with a rounded end. In 1813 his widow extended the rooms on the entrance front forwards. Unfortunately, this obscured the bases of the huge Doric pilasters which gave dignity and scale the facade.
When Fulbeck Hall was offered for sale in 1887 the house, without its contents, was purchased by a cousin, William Fane. He was an antiquarian and the great-grandfather of the present owner.
Some of the interiors were remodelled by William Fane and in 1904 his son created the formal terraced garden to the north of the house. The present porch was brought to the house from Syston Park, a short distance to the south, in 1934.
Magnificent 18th century iron gates open on to an avenue which leads to the house.
Fulbeck Hall has seen alterations and additions in nearly every generation of the Fane family.
One of the least altered parts of the house is the long narrow Entrance Hall which leads through an archway, flanked by Doric pilasters, to the wooden staircase.
The Drawing Room and Small Drawing Room to the left contain pictures collected by William Burnside of Gedling, Nottinghamshire in the early 19th century. These include works by Zuccarelli, Samuel Scott and Gerard Dou. There is also some fine 18th and early 19th century porcelain and furniture.
On the other side of the hall is the Library, originally the Parlour, created by William Fane in 1894. The neo-Jacobean panelling was designed as the framework for a portrait of the first Francis Fance to live at the house. This, and other family portraits, can now be seen by appointment at nearby Fulbeck Manor.
The Dining Room, dating from 1794, has recently been repainted in the original colour scheme. This spacious room has a neo-classical chimneypiece by James Wallis and the paintings on display include work by the Gaspard Dughet and the younger Teniers.
The final room to be visited is the Tent Room on the first floor which was mentioned in a 19th century inventory of Fulbeck Hall and has recently been recreated.
Fulbeck Hall also houses the Arnhem Museum. This commemorates the 1st Airborne Division for whom Fulbeck Hall was HQ during World War II.
Fulbeck Hall stands on the limestone hills that run from Grantham to Lincoln, with magnificent views over the Trent valley. The house is surrounded by 11 acres of formal gardens.
Open by written appointment.
