Easthampstead Park College and attached terrace with retaining wall and steps

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BRACKNELL EASTHAMPSTEAD PARK Easthampstead Park College and attached terrace with retaining wall and steps

[Formerly Listed as: EASTHAMPSTEAD, EASTHAMPSTEAD PARK, Easthampstead Park (now Training College)]

20/12/72

GV II

Large country house in parkland, now training college, and attached terrace with retaining wall and steps. 1860 for the Marquess of Downshire. Altered and extended mid C20.

MATERIALS: Red brick in English bond with Bath stone dressings. Low pitched slate roofs.

PLAN: E-plan.

STYLE: Jacobean style.

EXTERIOR: first floor sill level, moulded cornice and pierced parapet. Stone quoins at all corners. Shaped coped gables with stone central finials. Sash windows with stone transoms and mullions in stone surrounds.

Entrance (north-west) front: almost symmetrical, six-bay centre section with large five-light window in sixth bay. Central, projecting, entrance feature of three-bays with a broad Doric porch with entablature and shaped pediment with coat of arms in centre. At each end of centre section, in angle, single bay projection with single bay return, of three stages, rising one stage above parapet level. Two wings project forward, each with shaped gable. Left hand wing of two-bays with single bay return. Right hand wing of single bay, with large five-light square bay window at first floor level, and blank return.

Single storey pavilions project from these wings. Left has two, three-bay sections, furthermost set back and linking with taller octagonal room with ogee roof surmounted by weathervane. Right hand pavilion has single bay, five-light projecting window, with five-bay return of semi-circular headed windows.

South-east front: symmetrical. Centre projecting section of four-bays. Three-bay sections each side of centre. Single bay projecting wings with shaped gables and square bay windows two storeys in height. Linking the two wings stone arcade of ten semicircular arches with tapered columns.

Terrace on this front and has brick retaining wall and pierced parapet similar to that of house. Flight of ten stone steps leads down to garden.

INTERIOR: large staircase hall with dog-leg staircase with large fluted newels and fluted vase balusters; moulded handrail. Staircase leads to galleried landing with similar balusters. Large stained glass in staircase window with armorial glass of the Hill and Hillsborough families. Secondary staircase has leaf and scrolled balustrade with wreathed and moulded handrail. Windsor Room, Downshire Room and Tawnay Room have marble chimneypieces, decorated plaster ceilings, moulded and enriched ceiling cornices and panelled dados.

Large C20 extension on left of no special interest.