Old Alresford House

SU 53 SE 8/44

OLD ALRESFORD Old Alresford House

II* Middle sized country house. 1749-51 by William Jones for Admiral Lord Rodney. Brick with Bath stone dressings and slated roofs. Three storeys and basement, seven bays with slightly projecting centre three bays and single bay flanking wings at either end with single storey on basement service wings either side in front forming courtyard. Stone string courses at ground floor, ground floor cill level and second floor level, to centre five bays, and second floor cornice to flanking bays, tall parapet with coping and bracketed pediment to centre three bays. Flight of nine stone steps to central six- panel door in doorcase with arched radiating fanlight, in 1760s framed with porch of two fluted Tower of the Winds columns and pilasters supporting entablature with bucrania frieze. Either side a closely spaced sash then a widely spaced sash in the outer two bays, and the same arrange holds on the other floors. Ground and first floor have twelve-pane sashes, second floor six-paned, all with rubbed brick arches.

Inside plan form of central saloon, now morning room, flanked by dining and drawing rooms and entrance hall flanked by main and service stairs. In morning room original rococo plaster ceiling, with central panel of eagle discharging thunderbolts and corner medallions of the seasons. Some C18 fireplaces and Regency ceilings. In east service wing Chapel and sitting room decorated in neo-classical trompe l'oeil by Robert Jackson after designs by Annigoni.

House stands at top of park laid out by Richard Woods in 1764 with lawn and ha-ha in front of house and flanking walls of beech and yew framing view down to Alresford Pond.

Listing NGR: SU5876034222