Warren House

Warren House is a small country house, now conference centre, built in the 1860s for Hugh Hammersley and substantially extended between 1884 and 1886 by architect George Devey for George Grenfell Glyn, Lord Wolverton. It is constructed of red brick with burnt brick diaper work and decorative brickwork, stone dressings, and tile roofs, retaining mostly original metal frame windows and fittings.

The 1860s building has an asymmetrical plan, subrectangular with forward wings and canted rear bays. The 1884–1886 extension added a southern wing and loggia, single storey north wing, tower, and service wing, and reordered and extended the entrance. The building ranges from single storey to three storeys with attics.

The entrance front features a stone outer porch with moulded arch beneath a square hood mould and crest, set forward from a three storey gabled wing with three-light stone mullioned windows at each upper storey. Stone and flush brick ornamental relieving arches and diaper brickwork adorn the facade. To the right stands a canted hall in two storeys surmounted by a stone balustrade, with a window in the form of a three bay open arcade with shaped shafts and three-light mullioned and transomed window above. A tall brick stack with facetted shafts, moulded bands and caps rises prominently. The right return has an open four bay arcade as the west front, with a sundial dated 1884. To the rear stands a three stage square tower with finials at the angles and an iron balustrade. The outer porch is lined with a stone blind arcade with a moulded arch to the inner porch. The doorway features a stone moulded architrave and moulded keystone with a crest above; the panelled doors are replicas reusing original door furniture. A stone grid floor with herringbone brick infill paves the entrance. The former entrance front, now set back overlooking a small courtyard contained by the south wing and a 20th century wing, has a service wing and courtyard to the left: an 1880s two storey gabled wing treated as part of the main building, with an upper floor oriel window and a link wall enclosing the service courtyard with a depressed arched entrance and stone coping.

The south front displays four uneven bays, each with a gable of different proportion; the left two bays are dated 1884. All are two storeys with attics. A tall offset stack with grouped flues stands between the 1860s and 1884 work. Diaper brickwork adorns the 1860s work. All windows have stone mullions and transoms, except to the third floor where they are three-light mullioned. A left hand canted bay of two storeys and a right canted bay with ground floor windows under shaped heads—with mullions appearing as shafts—complete the composition. Flush brick relieving arches and a door with flanking lights similarly treated appear throughout. A stone storey band continues to the east front.

The east front is mostly from 1865 with an added canted bay at ground floor and a 20th century tall brick stack. Five irregular bays are marked by three tall lateral stacks. The first bay echoes the south front. The second bay is canted over two storeys with a dormer set into an angled roof. Ground floor windows have shaped mullions and transoms as on the south front; above are plain square headed mullion and transoms of three lights to each face of the bay. Three gabled bays follow, the central with a large six-light mullioned and double transomed stair window at first floor and a four light casement above. The right two bays, probably pushed out at ground floor in the later 19th century by Devey, have paired mullion and transom windows under pointed stone relieving arches at first floor and three-light mullioned windows at second floor. To the right, first floor shows three-light mullioned and transomed windows and second floor casements, both with flush brick relieving arches.

A single storey extension of 1884–1886 in red brick with stone dressings and stone balustrade contains an entrance to the former dining room under a deep stone hood with extended keystone. A depressed arched doorway and flanking windows, each with a keystone and oculus above, are flanked by a pair of doors with upper panels glazed. A canted bay with simple stone mullioned and transomed windows completes the extension.

The interior features an 1880s square panelled entrance hall with a chimney piece. The inner hall has a closed string open well stair with an exuberant foliate balustrade, square newels, and ornate ball finials with gadrooned drop finials. Full square panelling lines the lower hall, with partial panelling to the upper landing. Integral moulded doorcases and panelled doors throughout. A timber and brass radiator cover with Corinthian columns at the angles and a gadrooned frieze sits prominently.

Three ground floor rooms have panelled walls, chimney pieces, panelled doors and over panels (some with crests), and restrained classical mouldings, possibly of the 20th century. The former ballroom, said to be based on the Halle des Glaces at Versailles, displays baroque frieze and ceiling mouldings supported on debased Corinthian columns. The adjoining Music Room now has a replica pair of doors to the ballroom. The former dining room, now drawing room, was extended by Devey with square panelling to frieze height, a chimney piece with lozenge panelled overmantle, and a moulded rib ceiling. The Persian Room, one wall now missing, contains an angle chimney piece in plaster and timber set with oriental tiles, said to have been acquired by Lady Wolverton, with Islamic-inspired dado and door panels set with stones. The top light has been altered with inserted coloured glass; it was formerly draped in silk. The billiard room features a richly moulded doorcase and door with fielded panelled dado, an angle chimney piece with richly carved timber around four centre arched stone lining, a canted roof with exposed ribs, and a coloured glass panel. It formerly led to a conservatory terminating in a grotto. First floor bedrooms from the 1880s are classically detailed, retaining chimney pieces; earlier bedrooms may have been refitted in the early 20th century. A marble-lined bathroom retains circa 1900 fittings.

Attached to the south is a nine bay loggia with a two bay link to the house and two smaller bays to the south. Stone arcades, now enclosed internally with a raised section to house an air conditioning unit, formerly contained six 1880s Della Robbia rondels, now resited on the 20th century extension and within the house.