Chevening House

Chevening House

This Grade I listed building began as an original house built in the second quarter of the 17th century, with design influenced by Inigo Jones. The building underwent considerable later alterations, particularly following its purchase in 1717 by General Stanhope, later the first Earl Stanhope.

The original house was square in plan with seven-bay fronts to north and south. During the early 18th century (in the years following 1717), pedimented side projections were added, along with quadrant links and two new wings flanking the entrance court. The croisee windows were altered to sashes. A wrought iron screen with double gates was projected to enclose the entrance court, and a new spiral cantilevered staircase replaced the old square stair.

In the late 18th century, an attic storey was added and the whole building and links were faced in mathematical tiles. Four giant Ionic pilasters, supporting an entablature, were added to both back and front. The attic storey and facing of mathematical tiles was removed in the 1970s.

As restored, the house displays three storeys and a basement with seven windows. It features a high pitched hipped swept tiled roof with modillioned eaves cornice. The entrance front has a central pediment with a round window and one segment-headed dormer on either side. The walls are of red brick with blue headers and red brick window dressings, with rusticated stone quoins. The centre section is defined by four giant Ionic pilasters supporting an enriched entablature and pediment, resting on an arcaded rusticated stone ground floor. The entablature has a plain frieze at the sides. Sash windows with glazing bars sit under gauged brick arches. The garden front is similar except that five segment-headed dormers replace the pediment and flanking dormers of the entrance front, with a flight of stone steps leading to a central terrace.

The return elevations show three storeys and a basement, with three-window pedimented projections containing round windows in their tympana. The five-bay ends of separate service and stable wings appear set back at either side. From the entrance courtyard, arcaded quadrant links of two storeys and nine windows connect to these wings in red brick with hipped slate roofs. The centres of these links project under pediments crowned by cupolas. A sundial sits in the pediment of the east wing and a clock in the west. Flanking pairs of circular dormers appear on the links, with a first-floor band resting on keystones of the arcaded ground floor.

The interior of the main building contains a spiral cantilevered staircase attributed to Nicholas Dubois, dating to circa 1720. It features a cut string, slim turned balusters varying from two to four to the tread, a ramped handrail with spiral ends, and fluted Composite column newels. The dining room has panelling of the second quarter of the 17th century with walls arcaded above the dado; the upper panels are divided by fluted Corinthian pilasters with gilt lead capitals. Various rooms contain two marble and two stone fireplaces of the early 18th century. One bedroom features Chinese wall paper with patterns of flowers, trees, birds and rocks in very fresh colours. The interior was also subject to restoration work.