Cranbury House

SU 42 SW HURSLEY CRANBURY PARK

7/21 Cranbury House

GV I

Large country house 1790 by G Dance Jnr. for Lady Dance-Holland, altered internally 1830 by J B Papworth, extended mid-C19, reduced 1960. Red brick with stone and stucco dressings, slate roof behind parapet. L-shaped house with courtyard formed between wings by service buildings. S entrance front 2 storey, 7 bay, having 3 bay centre and in front mid-C19 deep Corinthian porte-cochére, under, door in stone architrave with wreathed frieze and pediment. Flanking bays have large 2/3 height arched opening with rustica- ted head and solid tympanum with below large 12-pane sash and columns set each side in opening. In the tympana and high in centre relief roundels of sculptures. Flanking these bays and dividing outer bays giant pilasters, with Venetian windows in outer bays. Above cornice in centre is raised panel with balustraded parapet each side and urns. Outer bays have urns on plinth and outside balustraded parapet. E front 3 storey, 13 bay with similar giant pilasters, sashes in rendered architraves and balustraded parapet. Interior is exuberent Dance. Behind door is small lobby with entrance to hall on right. Hall rises to full height with coffered tunnel vaults. At far end of hall 2 pairs of scagliola columns set lengthways, corresponding to those set in window opening on exterior. Behind columns is an exedra lit by circular skylight. To its right is staircase. To left is passage with C20 tented china closet off, leading to another exedra with cir- cular skylight, columns in all corners and apses each side. Behind this is recess containing C18 organ in Chippendale casing. To front ballroom, the best feature. It lies behind the other grand window and again its scagliola columns line up with those in window. Ballroom has its own large exedras to left and right and in the square centre a fine groin-vault. To right of exedra off entrance hall, staircase hall of c1860 with to right library c1850 by Papworth, in centre of E facade and behind dining-room of 1860s at far end of E facade. In corner between 2 facades, off library is Tent Boom c1830 by Papworth with tented silk ceiling in French Empire style. Between this room and the entrance hall is Drawing Boom with Dance decoration. Country Life; Vol. CXXX; p944-7, 1058-1061, 1116-1119. Buildings of England, Hampshire; Pevsner; p183-4.

Listing NGR: SU4474222715