Gilbert (temp Henry V, 1413 - 22) 1st Earl of Shrewsbury (John ? - (3)) built the mansion house (in Worksop Manor) ... In 1761 the house was accidentally destroyed by fire. (1)
The 4th Earl of Shrewsbury's 'fair lodge at Wyrksoppe Park, not yet finished' was mentioned by Leland in his Initerary (1534-43). It was swallowed up in the 6th Earl's … mansion … designed by … Robert Smythson [and completed] in 1585-6. The 8th Duke [of Norfolk] modernized the house … and created cours d'honneur at the back and front. (2)
The great house contained 500 rooms, was built in 1530 - 70 and was completely burned down in 1761. (4)
Of the preceding house, not a trace remains anywhere. (5)
… built ... Worksop Manor between 1580-85 on the site of a previous house … was a tall buliding, about ninety feet high, built of limestone, whose plan was an attenuated rectangle measuring c.180 by 40 feet. The main body of the building was three storeys high, although in places it was six storeys high where a number of mezzanine floors had been added. ... The ends of the long facades had projecting square bays. The long gallery, with its arched plaster ceiling, occupied most of the top floor. The house reputedly contained 500 rooms and incorporated parts of the previous house on the site. Thomas, 8th Duke of Norfolk, modernised the house at the beginning of C18 by adding a north range (which nearly doubled the size of the Smythson house) ... He squared off the towers on the wings and created French style entrance courts both on the front and back. The 8th Duke's new stable and office court still survive today. This house was destroyed by fire which started in the library on 20/10/1761 and raged for two days. (6)
See M4370 for later house.
See M8965 for office and stables, M4395 - garden remains, M5356 - dovecote, L5357 - mounds, M5358 - lodge.

S Buck, 1745, Worksop Manor, South Front (Plan). SNT2659.

J Hinton, 1755, Worksop Manor, North Front (Plan). SNT2658.

J.Throsby, publisher., 1795, Worksop Manor (Plan). SNT4284.

<1> Lewis S, 1849, Topographical Dictionary of England (7th Edn), p 684 (Published document). SNT323.

<2> Pevsner N, 1979, The Buildings of England: Nottinghamshire 2nd ed., p 390-1 (Monograph). SNT4.

<3> Lee S (ed), 1898, Dictionary of National Biography, pp 319, 323 (Published document). SNT140.

<4> Whitaker J, 1927, Med Dovecotes in Notts, pp 109 - 111 (Published document). SNT1406.

<5> Phillips AS, 1959, Pers Comm (Personal comment). SNT1139.

<6> Jones PE, 2006, Lost Houses of Nottinghamshire, pp 67-69 (Monograph). SNT1893.