Benham Park

Benham Park is a mansion built between 1772 and 1775, with significant alterations and additions made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was likely designed by Henry Holland, possibly with assistance from Capability Brown. The building is constructed of Bath stone ashlar and stucco, with a basement, two storeys, and an attic. It features glazing bar sash windows with blind hoods.

The south front has nine bays, dominated by a central tetrastyle portico with unfluted Ionic columns and pilasters supporting an entablature and balustrade. The entablature and pilasters extend one bay to each side, and the cornice runs around the entire building. An attic with balustrade and urns sits above, and blank rectangular panels are located between the ground floor windows. A plinth and a flight of steps lead to central half-glazed double doors, which are framed by an architrave and a segmental pediment on brackets.

The west front has five bays, with the central three bays projecting. Ground floor windows are set within recessed arched panels linked by a string course. The central three first-floor windows have moulded architraves, bracketed cills, and flat hoods, while blank rectangular panels are positioned between the ground and first-floor windows of the end bays.

The north front also has nine bays, with the central five bays projecting at both ground and first floor levels and featuring Ionic pilasters supporting an entablature and balustrade. A triangular pediment surmounts the central three bays, displaying a carved roundel and swags within the tympanum. The attic has a balustrade with urns, and rectangular panels with carved swags are interspersed between the ground and first-floor windows. A central doorway features French casements, a moulded architrave and a bracketed flat hood.

A north-east wing has a west front of seven bays, with a string course between ground and first floors and a cornice above an attic and balustrade. The central three bays are recessed, presenting a blank arcade on the ground floor. First-floor windows have balustraded balconies and flat hoods, with a triangular pediment over the central window. A one-storey, three-bay wing is attached to the left, featuring a balustrade, a blank arcade with rectangular panels above, and central French casements.

The interior, largely from the late 19th century, retains good qualities. Two fireplaces in the entrance hall and one in the main bedroom were taken from Stowe in 1922. Significant features relating to the development of 18th-century country houses are present, including a small, circular, double-height vestibule, known as 'the tribune', which later influenced the work of Soane. The grounds were landscaped by Capability Brown.