Following the death of Baron Lionel de Rothschild in 1879, his second son Alfred inherited Halton estate. As a confirmed bachelor and city-dweller he did not require a country seat; however he had need of a house in which he could host lavish parties. By 1880 the nearby Waddesdon Manor had been under construction for six years and it is likely that Alfred drew many design ideas from Waddesdon. Both Halton and Waddesdon are in the style of a French château and on the ground floor each house boasts a porte cochere.

Since the house became the Officers' Mess for RAF Halton in 1919, the public rooms have retained their original grandeur and are still used for dinners, balls and other social occasions. In this way the history of the house lives on into the present day.

Detail of the Stonework
The stone motifs above are found on a band course running around the exterior of the building. The four above depict a star between horns, the five Rothschild arrows, three ostrich plumes rising from a coronet and the Austrian eagle. Click on the photographs to view the images in high resolution.

The Porte Cochere
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