Orangery and Loggia at Minley Manor

Orangery and Loggia at Minley Manor

This orangery and loggia were built between 1885 and 1888 by architect George Devey for BW Currie. They form an ornamental garden structure of considerable architectural refinement, comprising a single-storey orangery flanked by loggias that enclose the formal gardens and link to the main house.

The orangery itself is constructed in red brick, predominantly in English bond, enriched with diaper pattern brickwork and rubbed brick and limestone dressings, beneath a pantile roof. It is planned as five symmetrical bays, with its main south-east elevation facing over the formal gardens. Low loggias flank either side, continuing eastward to enclose the garden from the entrance forecourt whilst connecting to the house. The lawn before it is terraced with low walls in a semi-circular form, with stone steps leading up to the central entrance.

The south-east elevation is articulated by pilasters in finely jointed rubbed brick with moulded stone bases and capitals, above a continuous stone plinth and beneath a moulded stone cill band and cornice. The central entrance bay projects forward beneath a stepped gable, crowned with a small segmental pediment on a tall entablature enriched with fielded panels in rubbed brick, with a stone ball finial at the apex and tall vase finials at the angles. The entrance itself sits beneath an elliptical arch, comprising a part-glazed door within a tall fixed glazed window, surmounted by a fanlight with shaped glazing bars arranged in a lozenge pattern. This lozenge pattern is repeated throughout the other windows. Flanking the entrance are two round-arched alcoves, each with a moulded stone corbel at the base supporting a carved stone animal figure, apparently re-used from elsewhere, probably the main house. The remaining windows in each bay feature elliptical arched heads with moulded mullions and a transom set at springing point, beneath lozenge-patterned fanlights.

The end gables have stone copings and tall segmental pediments matching the central entrance bay. Each gable wall contains an entrance accessible from the loggia, set beneath a rubbed brick elliptical arch and comprising a pair of oak doors with plain muntins.

The rear elevation mirrors the front in having a projecting central entrance bay, articulated by rubbed brick pilasters with stone dressings. Its gable features a triangular pediment flanked by scrolled brackets with small ball finials, an oval oculus at frieze height, and another in the pediment. The entrance, also beneath an elliptical red brick arch, is fully glazed like the south-east front but has a pair of doors beneath a plain overlight. The bays to either side are windowless with diapering and separated by offset buttresses. Above each bay is a full-height pedimented dormer window with limestone mullioned and transomed window frames, triangular pediments and tile-hung cheeks.

Access to the orangery gardens is controlled by a squat buttressed Gothic tower with a wide arched entrance, elliptical where it meets the forecourt side and pointed where it opens to the garden side. The tower is brick with moulded stone dressings applied to the string course, buttresses, arches and parapet. The parapet is pierced with tall crocketed finials matching the house. Above the arch on each face is a shaped blind panel rising through the parapet, surmounted by a cross finial. On the forecourt side this is framed by moulded shafts surmounted by heraldic beasts. To the south, the loggia leads to a curved screen wall containing a passage that connects with the main house. On the garden side the loggia is lower and less ornate, featuring a three-bay chamfered stone arcade set on a brick parapet wall, with a chamfered stone entrance arch and solid brick parapet shaped beneath a cross finial.

To the north, the loggia has a solid brick rear wall and a low brick parapet wall to the front. This parapet supports alternating octagonal and drum timber shafts with moulded bases, capitals and upper sections, beneath a moulded cornice and canted ceiling with moulded ribs. Floors are paved with terracotta tiled panels edged with stone. The loggia turns through 90 degrees beneath a squat square tower forming the north-east corner, while a narrow canted tower-like bay with rectangular window openings is positioned midway along the eastern range. The loggia has a square-cut open balustrade at the parapet, continuing to the south entrance. Westward from the orangery, the loggia terminates in a lower shaped gable with ball finials and triangular pediment. Facing the terraced garden is a pedimented entrance that echoes the orangery's central feature, set within a gabled projection above an elliptical archway flanked by rubbed brick pilasters with stone dressings. The gable rises to a triangular pediment above a moulded brick panel flanked by stone consoles and surmounted by ball finials.

The rear of the walkway encloses the main entrance forecourt on the north-east, enhanced with brick diapering and a stone parapet. It is windowless except for the corner tower, which has a single oculus on each face.

The interior of the orangery is a single open space beneath a barrel vaulted roof. The central bay is defined by rubbed brick arches supported on piers with stone dressings. The interior is faced in red brick, with the external modelling echoed in flush grey or buff brick panels. The rear wall also mirrors the front windows with its arches, whilst above the entrance at each end, segmental arched panels are marked out with an oculus and spandrels in flush grey or buff brick. The orangery has oak skirtings matching the door frames and doors, with a continuous moulded stone cornice throughout. The roof features moulded ribs, with the central bay having moulded bosses and grotesque figure heads. The gable end entrances have elliptical arched moulded timber architraves, with doors featuring plain muntins as on the external face. An inner glazed lobby serves the north entrance. Floors are paved with square stone slabs laid diagonally.

The terrace to the front of the orangery is enclosed by low brick walls, probably added during later reworking of the formal gardens by Castings. These walls are brick with stone copings and plain buttress piers; squat angle piers feature ball finials. Central stone steps stand on axis with the orangery. To either side of the steps are two low rectangular plinths, formerly bases for stone statues.