Billesley Manor Hotel

Billesley Manor Hotel

Manor house, now hotel. Built circa 1610–1620 with an 18th-century extension to the west, altered in the 19th century, and a 1906–1913 addition to the rear wing by architect Detmar Blow. Constructed of coursed squared blue lias stone with sandstone ashlar dressings; steeply pitched renewed tile roof with brick or stone ridge and internal stacks, mostly with diagonally set brick shafts. L-shaped plan.

The south or garden front is two storeys plus attic, with a seven-window range. The end bays and entrance bay to the right of centre project under coped gables with kneelers and finials. An ovolo-moulded plinth and dripcourse run over the ground floor. The entrance bay features a round-headed entrance arch with foliate spandrels, Doric columns and Tuscan entablature, with an inner Tudor-arched entrance containing a three-light overlight, side lights and paired studded doors with panelled side benches. Double-chamfered mullioned-and-transomed windows with leaded glazing and moulded sills light the first and second floors. The ground floor has six-light windows with a 1:6:1-light bay window at each end; first floor windows are four lights, though those to the porch are three lights. The window to the right end is cross-mullioned with an eared architrave. The attic has windows to the gables and a gabled dormer to the left of centre: three-light windows to the left and two-light windows to the right, the end one in an architrave.

The right return has a gabled left end, a catslide re-entrant bay and a symmetrical five-window range with a lower service range to the right end. A round-headed entrance features rusticated jambs and pilasters to a moulded arch with key blocks, lantern and two-fielded-panel door. Windows match those of the front, of three, four or five lights; a three-light gable window and three gabled dormers are present.

The rear elevation has two lateral stacks and a two-storey gabled wing with a four-light single-chamfered mullioned window and a 19th-century brick wing with cross-casement. The first floor has wooden mullioned-and-transomed windows of three and four lights; the adjacent wing has similar return windows and a two-storey addition with a three-storey 20th-century wing behind. A late 20th-century wing in 17th-century style stands to the west end.

The interior is notable for its survival of 17th-century features. One wing contains a room with exposed beams, an ovolo-moulded fireplace and a timber screen to the south end with an elliptical-headed doorway and flanking panels, fluted pilasters, a triglyph frieze to the entablature and three pierced pediments, with a 15-panel door. The full-height hall to the south has a staircase and gallery to two sides, mostly 20th-century reconstruction, but retains rich 17th-century panelling with strapwork and fluted pilasters, a Tudor-arched fireplace and enriched overmantel, and doors with rich 17th-century locks of German or French workmanship; a six-light window, now opening to the passage, is to the west. An archway with continuous moulding to the south leads to the former screens passage to the south porch.

The south-east room, formerly two rooms, has 17th-century panelling, possibly removed from the first floor, and two Tudor-arched fireplaces. To the west of the passage is a similar room with a central pier and large fireplace, and doorcases with enriched entablatures. Two rooms to the west end have 18th-century details: entablatures and fireplaces with architraves, cornices and swags, cherubs and other ornament; a winding stair serves the west end.

The first floor contains two richly panelled rooms with fireplaces. That to the east end features deep window openings and an enriched fireplace and overmantel with paired pilasters, with a reputed priest hide to the chimney breast. The room to the west has panelling with enriched top panels and a fireplace in a partitioned-off corridor.

This is a good example of a 17th-century manor house retaining many internal features of interest, enhanced by sympathetic early 20th-century additions.