The first edition of the Ordnance Survey (Kent and part of Essex 1801) (10) shows the extent of the parkland, its entrances from the North and South, and the position of the house on the edge of the gravel terrace with ground falling steeply to the South and providing the unobstructed view into Kent which visitors remarked upon (above). More recent maps show that Belmont Castle sat precisely on the 100 foot contour. The 1801 O.S. map calls the house "Bellaue Castle". There is no evidence that it was ever anything but Belmont, and as mistakes are common in the early O.S., this may be disregarded. The 1805 edition has "Belvidere Castle" which is not much better! The maps remind us that although the more familiar view of Belmont in prints and photographs is from the South, the main approach was meant to be from the North. The main door was on the North side of the house where there was a smooth lawn and a large turning area for carriages.

The 1797 aquatints show Belmont to be in the Gothic style, which was based on the pointed arch of medieval church architecture. Without going too deeply into the story of 18th century Gothic, it should be remembered that although the style first appeared in the 1740s, (an early local example being the remodelling of Belhus), there was still plenty of life left in it in the 1790s. That best known of all "gothic" buildings, Horace Walpole's Strawberry Hill at Twickenham, was started about 1750, but was not in fact completed until 1790. Also under construction around 1800 were some particularly extravagant "Gothic" fantasies such as William Beckford's Fonthill Abbey, designed by Thomas Wyatt, and Eaton Hall, Cheshire, built between 1804 and 1812 in the perpendicular style.

Alongside such buildings, Belmont Castle seems modest in size and positively restrained in its use of ornament. Zachariah Button clearly wanted his home to be fashionable, but lacked the eccentric personality and antiquarian interests that led to more fantastic creations. Such extravagance as there was at Belmont seems to have gone into quality of construction rather than ornaments. Button's architect was a man named Thomas Jeffery of 113 Bishopsgate St, London, about whom, it may safely be said, little is known. Enquiries at the library of The Royal Institute of British Architects have failed to produce any information about him. His entry in a recent directory of British Architects (11) makes it clear that he is known only from the two aquatints of Belmont mentioned above.

There is unfortunately no detailed plan of the house to accompany the views, although there are three published 19th century descriptions. The earliest and most valuable of these is in Dr. David Hughson's Circuit of London (1809) where the following account of Belmont occupies most of the space devoted to Grays (12).

"Belmont Castle, most delightfully situated, was the property and residence of the late Zachariah Button Esq. who finished it in an early style of Gothic architecture. The building contains, besides other convenient apartments a circular neatly furnished room, called the round, from whence are the most delightful prospects of the river Thames, of the shipping for many miles, and of the rich Kentish enclosures, to the hills beyond the great Dover road. An elegant drawing room, with circular front highly encircled; a cheerful entrance hall, finished with Gothic mouldings; niches for figures or lamps, paved with stone, and black marble dots, a spacious eating room, finished with a highly enriched cornice, stucco grey sides, and Gothic mouldings; a beautiful chimney piece, and wainscot floor. The library is oval shaped, and very elegantly fitted up and finished with Gothic book cases and mouldings, from this room a double flight of handsome stone steps descend to the terrace fronting the great lawn and in view of the river. The large and very excellent kitchen garden is incompassed with the walls, clothed and planted with a choice selection of the best fruit trees, and a capital hot house. Surrounding the house are the pleasure grounds, which are beautifully and tastefully disposed, and ornamented with very valuable forest trees, shrubs & plants, terminating towards the west by a Gothic temple, and to the east by an orchard and paddock. There are two approaches to the house, the one by the neat Gothic lodge, through the great south lawn, from the road between West Thurrock & Grays; and the other from the Village of Stifford, by the north lawn' .

Previous page                     Next page