Shotover Park

Shotover Park is a country house dating from approximately 1715 to 1720, originally built for James Tyrrell Snr. and General James Tyrrell, and possibly designed by William Townesend of Oxford. It was extended in 1855 by Joshua Sims. The house is constructed of colourwashed limestone ashlar with Westmorland- and Welsh-slate roofs and stone stacks.

The original central 7-window front, dating to the 18th century, projects forward 3 bays and features rusticated quoin strips and a heavy entablature; the attic storey is accentuated by pilaster strips. Ground and first-floor windows have moulded architraves, floating cornices, and sills supported on consoles. A mid-19th century Ionic pedimented porch with an arched doorway and flanking arched windows indicates alterations. Flanking wings, added in the 19th century, are of one storey plus attics with similar detailing. The rear of the house lacks the central break and rests upon a rusticated arcaded basement forming an open loggia. The side wing arcades are original, later infilled and extended upwards. The loggia has a plaster ribbed vault with foliage and trophy roundels, and elaborate spandrels decorated with fruit, flowers, and palm fronds; the central 3 bays have a higher segmental vault recessed to frame two tiers of openings. Rainwater heads bear the date 1718.

The interior includes a hall with fluted pilasters below an entablature featuring alternating rosettes and boar’s heads on the metopes of a triglyph frieze. The fireplace is flanked by consoles supporting a broken pediment framing a shell, with heavy plaster festoons of oak leaves above. A stair hall has a cantilevered open-well stair with a cast-iron balustrade and plaster trophies below the cornice. A rear central saloon has oak panelling with carved festoons of fruit and flowers, and a fireplace designed by William Kent, featuring a fluted frieze on large reeded consoles. A further drawing room incorporates Adam-style decoration. The first floor features several rooms with fielded panelling, and a central hall with arched doorways to rooms and a central light well with a cast-iron balustrade.