Amport House

Amport House is a country mansion built in 1857 by William Burn. It is constructed of yellow brick walls in English bond, with flush Bath stone dressings, and has a steep slate roof. The design evokes the English style of around 1600, with regular but asymmetrical elevations. The main house block is two storeys high with an attic; the extensive service wing is of one storey and an attic, with upper floors having semi-dormer windows. The south (garden) front is symmetrical, with an added bay of 1.3.1:1 windows on the east side. This front features half-dormers with gables, attic windows in the side gables, and two-storeyed splayed bays beneath each gable. The gables are topped with small finials, with stepped verges at each foot containing a finial. Stone bands indicate a second-floor classical cornice and a first-floor Gothic drip-mould. Flush quoins, chamfered reveals, mullions, transoms, and a plinth are also present, along with open strapwork at the top of the bays. The front features casements and three French windows in the middle.

The east (entrance) elevation has a gable to the south side and a narrow, four-storey bay set back to the north, also gabled, with a 1.3.1 window arrangement. Similar detailing is found here, and a porch in a Tuscan Order, with two columns and two pilasters, an arched entrance, and a half-glazed door, is located on the south side. The columns are enriched at top and bottom with strapwork. The service block comprises ranges arranged around a courtyard, connected to the main house by a link. The exterior treatment here is similar but without ornamentation.

Inside, a long gallery runs behind the staterooms and is lined with “Jacobean” panelling, featuring a fireplace with a classical overmantel. Opposite the gallery is a staircase in the same style, with large windows containing painted escutcheons of the Paulet family at each half-landing; the gallery also displays a set of early 19th-century bird paintings. The main rooms incorporate several details from an earlier 18th-century house, including four fireplaces, panels, three doors, and a wood cornice. A top-lit billiard room, with original furnishings, is located behind the staircase.