Barford House

BARFORD Wellesbourne Road (east side) 25/73 Barford House, No 17 (formerly included as Barford House, Wellesbourne Road - Grade II) 11.4.67

GV II*

Circa 1820. Large Regency stuccoed mansion. Low pitched slate roof, leaded dome with glazed lantern to central block. Two storeys, nine bays, comprising five-bay centre block with portico treatment, and two-bay flanking wings. In the centre portion there are four attached giant unfluted Ionic columns flanked by giant angle Ionic pilasters, supporting large entablature with dentil cornice. Central half-glazed door in pilastered doorcase with flat hood supported on consoles. To either side two late C19 sash windows. Above door and the four ground floor windows there are five rectangular blank recessed panels. To first floor there are five early C19 sash windows with glazing bars. There are flanking wings each of one bay recessed 2 ft behind the central portion. Cornice and parapet. To first floor of each wing there is a late C19 sash window in a recessed blocked panel with an enriched lintel. To the ground floor of the south wing there is a late C19 sash window set in a recessed panel in which are a pair of attached unfluted Ionic columns. Above this window there is a recessed rectangular blank panel. To the ground floor of the north wing there is a projecting tripartite bay window with late C19 sashes, flanked by pilasters supporting an entablature and cornice. There are further side wings of one bay each to the north and south, recessed 5 ft behind flanking wings to the central portion. Continuous cornice and parapet with flanking wings. At the first floor of the north wing there is a late C19 sash window while to the south wing there is a recessed blank panel. To the ground floor of the south wing there are two recessed coved niches with two recessed square panels above while to the north wing there is a late C19 timber and glass conservatory with hipped roof. To the north-east of the house and attached to it, there is an early C19 coach house. Interior: The dining room has an oakboarded floor with parquet surround and an early C19 Adamesque grate and white marble classical surround. The drawing room has an oak boarded floor with parquet surround and a mid C19 carved marble fireplace surround in Louis XV style, with brass mounted inset. In the library there is a Hornton stone fireplace surrounded by an ornate carved oak mantlepiece depicting the Last Supper and other scenes said to be French. Between 1924-50 the property was owned by the Graham family; their son, Alastair Graham, was a good friend of Evelyn Waugh. Between January 1924 and August 1932 Waugh stayed at Barford House 21 times. He wrote part of Decline and Fall there.

Listing NGR: SP2700560545