Stratfield Saye House

Stratfield Saye House, built around 1640 with additions in the 18th and early 19th centuries, is a large two-storey house with an attic. It features a symmetrical design on both the front and rear facades, with later wings and stucco cladding added over time. The entrance front, facing west, prominently displays a pediment and Ionic pilasters above a projecting porch designed in 1838 by Benjamin Wyatt, which is in the Tuscan style. On either side of the porch are six plain ground-floor windows, with five windows above, framed by Doric pilasters, the central window flanked by niches. The house has double flanking wings at each end, projecting two and three bays, each topped with a Dutch gable. The roof is slate, with flat-roofed dormers and a modillion cornice at the center. The exterior is stucco over brickwork, featuring first and second-floor bands, projecting window architraves with quoins linked to the bands, and a plinth. The windows are sash style.

The east front showcases a wide central pediment flanked by projecting Dutch-gabled wings with two windows each. To the north, there is a broad angular bay with three windows over two storeys, dating from the 18th century, while to the south, a single-storey angular bay fronts a conservatory built in 1838. This side also has a slate roof and modillion cornice, with stucco walling, bands, and architraves with quoins linked to bands and a plinth. The ground-floor centerpiece features a wide 18th-century porch supported by four columns, situated between angular bays beneath a continuous cornice. At the top of the house is an open turret with arches, keystones, corner pilasters, and a dome added in 1964. Inside, the house retains original staircases and one upper room, with the majority of the interiors dating from the 18th century. Stratfield Saye was the residence of the First Duke of Wellington after 1817, and the estate was purchased for him by the nation. It remains occupied by the Wellington family.