Bletchingdon Park

BLETCHINGDON SP51NW

2/13 Bletchingdon Park

26/11/51

GV II*

Country house, now college. Built 1782, by James Lewis for Arthur Arnesley, Earl of Anglesey. Limestone ashlar, with rusticated basement; Welsh slate mansard roof; moulded stone ashlar stacks. Central-staircase plan. Mid Georgian style. Two storeys above rusticated basement; 5-bay front with pedimented centre making 1:3:1 fenestration. Semi-circular flight of steps in front of full-height pedimented portico with Corinthian columns and wrought-iron railings. Late C19 double-leaf doors set in pedimented moulded stone architrave. Moulded stone architraves with cornices to plate-glass sashes flanking door; moulded stone architraves to mid C19 horned sashes with glazing bars. Outer bays of ground floor have similar sashes set in semi-circular arched recesses, and with scrolled wrought-iron balustrades to bracketed balconies. Dentilled moulded cornice; plain parapet pierced by balustrades. Side walls each of 3-window range: sashes with fluted pilasters set in segmental-arched recess with scrolled wrought-iron balustrades to bracketed balconies to right; similar fenestration to left with two semi-circular arches with blocked voussoirs below balcony. Similar rear elevation has double-flight of steps to inset portico with two Ionic columns in antis; tradesman's entry in basement flanked by 2-light ovolo-moulded stone-mullioned windows; paterae to cornices of doors in portico. Interior: hall has stone-flagged floor and marble fireplace with putti in frieze; roundel above has Olympian plasterwork scene with fawn; decorative dentilled cornive; similar cornices over architraves with panelled reveals to panelled doors. Room to left has fine Adam-style fireplace with urns; centre-left room has similar fireplace with putti and panelled walls with vine trails, and frieze with scrolled leaf decoration and laurel wreaths; fine Adam-style plasterwork ceiling with garlands and fans; moulded cornices with paterae over doors. Similar Adam-style decorated room to rear left, Central stair-hall has half-turn staircase with landings, C20 scrolled wrought-iron balustrade and fine C20 Adam-style plasterwork. Room to right has panelled walls with reeded architraves, Corinthian screen and late C18 grate to fireplace. First floor has moulded plaster cornices, late C18 fireplaces with decorative friezes, and cast-iron fire grates to left. Panelled doors and moulded architraves to fireplace in attic, which also has glazed umbrella dome lighting stairs, Cellar has kitchen fireplace dated 1786. (Buildings of England: Oxfordshire: p476; VCH: Oxfordshire: Vol VI, p57j National Monuments Record; H.M.Colvin, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects: 1600-1840: 1978, p518)

Listing NGR: SP5053318026