Ascot Place

WINKFIELD

SU97SW PIGEONHOUSE LANE 674-1/13/250 (South side (off)) 20/12/72 Ascot Place

GV II

Large country house in parkland with large lake and grotto (qv). Late C18 by Thomas Sandby, altered early C19 and again late C19 by A Mitchell. Reconstructed mid C20 by F Scarlett. MATERIALS: yellow stock brick in Flemish bond. Low pitch hipped slate roof of double span. PLAN: square plan with a lower pavilion on each side. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys and basement to centre section, 2 storey pavilions. 4 large ridge chimneys with moulded stone cornices and clay pots. Sash windows with glazing bars and gauged brick arches. South front symmetrical. Centre section, 7-bays. Projecting plinth, plain parapet and coping with urns at corners. 3-bay projecting centre section with dentilled pediment and prostyle, tetrastyle Doric portico approached by 7 stone steps with urns on side walls. Half glazed double entrance door. On left, set back, single storey link with C20 panelled door to 3-bay pavilion, similar in style to centre section without pediment, but with central cupola with louvred semicircular openings. On right similar pavilion but with 3 large C20 round-headed windows with radiating glazing bars. INTERIOR: mostly re-modelled C20. Open well staircase of 4 flights, turned balusters and moulded handrail. Open string with moulded tread ends returned on soffit, and foliated spandrels. Staircase hall has dentilled and moulded cornice at each level, panelled walls and moulded doorcases. Marble chimneypieces in ante-room, dining room and sitting room. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Berkshire: Harmondsworth: 1966-: 70; Victoria County History: VOL III: 86).