Whitbourne Hall

Whitbourne Hall is a country house dating from 1860 to 1862, designed by E.W. Elmslie for Edward Bickerton Evans. A conservatory was added around 1865 to 1877, likely by R.L. Roumieu. The house is constructed of rusticated ashlar with a slate hipped roof. It is a Greek Revival country house, notable for its large conservatory set between the main block and service wing.

The two-storey front is symmetrical, consisting of a 1:5:1 bay arrangement with a giant hexastyle Ionic portico. The facade features banded rustication to the walls, corner pilasters, and entablature. The left return has a semi-circular bay window on the right and a large conservatory, now roofless, built into a recess on the left, characterized by giant pilasters and an entablature matching the height of the house.

The interior is exceptionally fine, with a central atrium featuring a peristyle and an imperial staircase ascending to a gallery landing, with Maws tile flooring. Other principal rooms are notable, including a morning room with flock paper and a drawing room adorned with painted canvases within the overdoors and pilaster strips.

Edward Bickerton Evans, the original owner, was an amateur archaeologist who led an exhibition related to Palmyra, demonstrating considerable knowledge of Greek architecture, which influenced the design of the house.