Popes Manor

BINFIELD

SU86NW MURRELL HILL LANE 674-1/14/77 (North East side) 07/12/66 Popes Manor

GV II

Formerly known as: Popes House MURRELHILL LANE. Large country house in landscaped surrounds, now offices. Late C17 and early C18, altered and extended late C19. Altered and restored 1983-84. MATERIALS: Red brick in Flemish bond; tiled, hipped and gabled roofs of different heights. PLAN: formerly rectangular plan, later extended on north, east and south. EXTERIOR: part 3 storeys and cellar, part 2 storeys and attics. Several chimneys with offset heads and tall clay pots. Sash windows, mostly with glazing bars. Entrance (south-west) front: oldest part of house; formerly symmetrical. Projecting, weathered plinth. String courses at first and second floor window heads. Parapet over cornice band. Gauged, segmental brick arches to segment headed sash windows with glazing bars, in near flush architrave frames. 5-bays to main section. Entrance in centre bay of C19 outer double door of 8 fielded panels in Tuscan doorcase with swan-neck pediment and central shell ornament, approached by 3 steps. On right, blank end of C19 re-fronting of south-east front. On left late C19 extension of 2 storeys with attics, of 5 irregular bays in similar style. Projecting from this and at right angles to it is late C19, single storey wing containing former billiards room: hipped gables on west and south: sash windows. INTERIOR: window shutters in oldest section are mostly complete, panelled and enriched with leaf ornament. Reception area: C18 dog-leg staircase with column-on-vase balusters and moulded, wreathed handrail; string closed by later partition. Panelled walls, part C18, part C20 replacements. Moulded ceiling cornice. Fireplace with egg-and-dart enrichment on plain, eared surround. Engineers office: ceiling with moulded cornice, scroll and leaf enrichment with paterae at intervals. Marble fireplace with colonnettes and marble shelf. Architects office: moulded ceiling cornice with acanthus and anthemion leaf enrichment. Black and white marble chimneypiece with swags and cherubs in frieze; moulded cornice. Doorcase with moulded architrave enriched with bead and leaf ornament; frieze with garlands and urn; dentilled, moulded cornice. Managing Director's ofice: cast-iron fire hob and grate in plain marble surround in frame enriched with egg-and-dart and bead and reel ornament. Moulded wood shelf. Second managing directors office: cast-iron fire hob and grate in plain marble surround; frieze with garlands. Former billiards room: exposed C19 roof of 3 bays. Moulded archbraced truss with drop finials on moulded brackets and cornice; 2 circular roof lights. King post truss to hipped bay on south. Fireplace on east wall with panelled overmantel, pedimented with heraldic arms, leaf ornament and inscription which reads `Timor omnis abesto'. HISTORY: the house is said to be the boyhood home of Alexander Pope. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Berkshire: Harmondsworth: 1966-: 88).