PRN 46751 The medieval house of the Langtons stood southeast of the church. Its successor, home of Dr Johnson's friend Bennet Langton, stood northeast of the church. In 1822 a new house was built on the hillside, but this in turn was demolished in 1845 because of defective foundations. In 1866-67 the Langtons employed James Fowler to build a new Hall at the other end of the village. This too has been demolished, and only the decaying stables remain (see HER 46750). The grounds were laid out by Veitch & Son of London. The present Old Hall is a red brick farmhouse. {1} An eighteenth century successor was pulled down (on the plea that its foundations were faulty), so was James Fowler's Victorian house (1866). {2} It need be hardly said that in their long ownership of Langton the Langtons have lived in a succession of houses. The earliest of these appears to have been to the southeast of the church. It is said to have been destroyed by fire in 1405, and less precisely, in the reign of Henry VI or Edward VI. A hall at Langton is said to have been built by John Langton in 1550. It is believed that the house known to Samuel Johnson was built by Sir John Langton between 1583 and 1616. It stood northeast of the church. It was drawn by Girton for Howlett's Views of Lincolnshire. A description of the house provides some information regarding the interior of the house drawn by Girtin - "The house was entered by a porch that opened into a wide passage, on the left of which were folding doors into the great hall; in this was an oriel, corresponding in the façade with the porch; in the wing of the house near the entrance were the kitchen and offices; at the other end of the hall a drawing room and the grand staircase; behind the hall two good sitting rooms." On March 22 1822, the Stamford Mercury reported that "Admirers of ancient English architecture will regret to learn that Langton Hall, near Spilsby, one of the first old seats in this country… has lately been taken down and the materials sold." In 1822 the Langtons built a new house "An Italian Villa" on the hillside, but its foundations were faulty and it showed signs of subsidence (the precise location of this house cannot be determined). It was demolished in 1845. The family lived in a farm house to the north of the church, now called Old Hall, until the new house was built in 1866-7 (PRN 46750) (source unknown).