Country house, now an agricultural college, and attached former coach house, orangery and garden wall. Built 1828 for the Rev. Thomas Coats Cane and extensively remodelled c1890 for W N Hicking. Converted to an agricultural college 1949. Yellow and red brick, with stone dressings and hipped slate and lead roofs. Plinth, moulded cornice, balustrade, 4 side wall and 5 ridge stacks. Windows are mainly glazing bar sashes. Major garden front, 2 storeys, has a range of 8 windows arranged 2/4/2, with a set back centre and flanking wings. Below, a tetrastyle Ionic portico with dentilled cornice, curved central steps and balustrade between the piers. Under the portico, 4 glazing bar windows and beyond, in the wings, 2 sashes. To the right, a set back 3-storey range with irregular fenestration including a door with overlight and to its right an oval window with keystones. Symmetrical south front, 5 windows, has a central 2 storey bow window with a shaped balcony and railing on scroll brackets. Central French window flanked by single sashes, and beyond, single sashes. Below, similar fenestration with taller sashes, that to the far left altered to a French window, late C19. All these windows have multi keystoned lintels. Irregular entrance front has a near-symmetrical block to right. 2 storeys; 3 window range. Projecting pedimented centre. Above and behind, an octagonal wooden bell turret with copper ogee dome and wind vane. Below, a tetrastyle Ionic portico covering a studded plank door flanked by single leaded windows. To left, a 5 window range arranged 1/3/1, the central 3 windows being set back. Central French window and balcony flanked by 2 sashes. Below, a central door with overlight, flanked by 2 sashes, with a small oval window between the pair to the right. To left again, a 4-stage square water tower with string courses and quoins. The lower stages have glazing bar sashes, that to the third stage with moulded segmental head. The fourth stage has an oval window with keystones. To left again, link building, 1949, with keystoned lintels. 2 storey former coach house, to north, has a hipped roof topped with an octagonal wooden turret with lead dome. South side has a round headed carriage arch and to right a pair of C20 segment headed carriage doors. West side has 3 full height round headed recesses with C20 casements on each floor. Single storey former orangery, to north east, has plinth, moulded cornice, and glazed hipped roof. Projecting pedimented centre with 4 Doric columns and central door with fanlight and side lights. On either side, single 15-pane windows with fanlights. Below them, rendered panels. Beyond, on either side, 3 similar windows, and in the east end, two more. To right, brick garden wall with ramped stone coping, approx. 25M long. To the south east of the house, a balustraded stone garden wall, approx. 70M long, with a pair of square piers with moulded caps at the far end. At the south west corner, a similar wall with 3 square piers with obelisk finials, approx. 35m long. House interior has entrance hall, altered c1949, with a reused late C17 oak gallery around 3 sides. Pargetted panelled coyed ceiling with octagonal toplight. Reused late C17 dogleg stair and panelling. Pargetted frieze to landing and corridor. Former library, now Principal's office, has moulded wall panels and enriched cornice. Early C19 bob grate with enriched eared architrave and eared and shouldered overmantel with plaster fruit festoons. Former drawing room, now staff room, has fielded wall panels, enriched cornice and 2 marble fireplaces with basket grates and enriched mantelshelves. Wooden overmantel panels with shell crests and flower swags in late C17 style. Enriched doorcases with cornices. Panelled plaster ceiling with heavy foliate borders. This building was the birthplace of Viscount Allenby, 1861-1936, British commander in Palestine 1917-18. (The Nottinghamshire Countryside: K S S TRAIN: Oct 1965: Nottingham). (NCC/js)