Hill House Little Court Pangbourne English Centre

SU 6376 PANGBOURNE SHOOTER'S HILL (south side)

6/1 No.27, Pangbourne English Centre, No.29 (Hill House), And No. 31 (Little Court) 7.12.71 - II*

House, now 2 houses, school and Masonic hall. 1898, by Leonard Stokes in a free neo-Georgian style. Later additions set back to right. Red brick with plum brick panels in left-hand block, and rendered first floor in centre with flanking pilaster strips. Tile hanging in gable end to left and in right-hand blocks, and tile roof. Lead downpipes and rainwater heads. Irregular skew plan with 2 gables to front. 2 storeys and attic. Centre block: first floor jettied on shaped brackets with fluted and moulded bressumer, pulvinated frieze, and deep dentil eaves cornice. 2 segmental arched dormers with 3-light casements in left and right-hand return fronts, end stack to left with arched panel and rusticated corners, and stack to right at rear. Central first floor canted bay with cornice, and 2 flanking 4-light casements with radial fanlight over centre 2 lights and cornice above. 2 ground floor canted bays with large mullioned and transomed windows, and 2 central arched half glazed panelled doors with 3- light overlights and moulded architraves. Arched doorway in right-hand return front, and ground floor semi circular bay in left-hand return front with 2-light casement and cornice. Left-hand block: plinth, dentil eaves cornice, long dormer with four 4-light, casements, and tapered end stack to left. Right-hand block: 2 first floor glazing bar sashes. 2 ground floor casements flanking central arched glazed door with cornice above. Further additions set back to right with tile hung first floor, hipped roof and 2 stacks. Rear: projecting wing with 2 pilaster strips supporting pedimented gable end with keyed circular window in rendered tympanum. Canted bay to east. Main entrance with two 2-panelled doors, heavily moulded stone architrave, segmental stone hood with dentil cornice, and carved coat of arms in tymmpanum. Segmental ground floor bay to rear of left-hand block with casement and cornice. Interior: much painted panelling throughout. Staircase with twisted balusters, 2 ground floor rooms with delicate plaster ceilings and classical fireplace surrounds. Left-hand block was formerly a picture gallery. This house is one of the most inventive of those in the free neo-Georgian practised by many Arts and Crafts architects circa 1900. Formerly known as Shooter's Hill House. B.0.E, Berkshire, p.192; Berkshire Architectural Guide, Betjeman and Piper, Murray, 1949, p.137; Edwardian Architecture, Alastair Service, Themes and Hudson, 1977, pp. 170-171.

Listing NGR: SU6310876764