Wymondley House

Wymondley House is a country house, dating back to 1724, originally commissioned for John Pym, a barrister. It was significantly altered in 1799-1832 to serve as the principal academy for training young men for the Nonconformist (Presbyterian) Ministry, accommodating two tutors and 24 students. Later, it functioned as a boys’ boarding school until around 1880, a private residence until approximately 1930 (with a ballroom and conservatory added on the west side in 1904), and then an approved school.

The house is constructed primarily of red brick with a stuccoed front, and features hipped slate roofs with parapets. It stands as a tall, three-storey and cellar L-shaped villa, five windows wide on the front, within its own grounds, facing west. There’s an irregular two-storey north extension, with a polygonal conservatory projecting to the west.

The west front of the main block exhibits symmetry, characterized by a moulded cornice and coping, and recessed sash windows with square heads. The second floor windows have 3/3 panes, while the first floor originally had 6/6 panes (now replaced by casements). A central Ionic porch, raised one step, is distinguished by its full entablature, columns, and angular Ionic capitals.

The north extension is divided into two parts. The first part comprises two storeys, a stone cornice, and a parapet, with a large conservatory featuring a central clearstorey and cap and half octagonal end. The second part is a single-storey brick construction with an upper floor of stonework, showcasing mullioned and transom windows with curved ends and curved glass. A rear wing continues the plane of the north end of the house.

Inside, original features include a staircase around a central well, dados, cornices, six-panel doors, and panelled shutters. A newer north wing contains a square ballroom or saloon, decorated with 3/4 panelling topped by a band of painted scenes signed A.H. Marsh in 1905, and a coffered oak ceiling. There’s Arts and Crafts decorative glazing and an elaborate fireplace. The ballroom is linked by glazed double doors to the conservatory, which features an arched colonnade of black granite Doric columns on pedestals, a canted end, an aisle around the end, and a marble floor. A 3-centred moulded arch with a black marble balustrade leads to a balcony over the main entrance. The first floor contains a red marble fireplace and a shallow plaster vault to the ceiling. A segmental carved pediment adorns the double doors.