Foxcombe Hall, north gateway, garden terraces and structures to the south

Foxcombe Hall is a small country house, originally built in 1887–9 by H.W. Moore, then substantially extended by Sir Ernest George and Alfred Yeates between 1898 and 1904 for Randall, 8th Earl Berkeley. Messrs. Hayworth and Wooster of Bath were the contractors for this later phase. Following a fire in 1935, part of the west wing was rebuilt by Sir Albert Richardson. The building underwent internal reordering and extension during the late 20th century when occupied by Ripon Hall College and later the Open University. The heraldic glass in the hall is by Baron Arild Rosenkrantz. Some of the interior metalwork was designed by Starkie Gardner, and much of the interior wall panelling and other fittings were supplied by Morants, the interior designers.

Certain parts of the building are excluded from the listing: the north wing of 1964 by Myles and Deirdre Dove, the square apse at the east end of the hall range, the extension of 1977, the interior of the service wing, and the former garages and dairy to the northwest of the hall.

Materials

Moore's original house is constructed of red brick with tile-hung decoration and clay-tiled roofs. The structures added by George and Yeates are built in rock-faced limestone, some with painted, rendered first floors featuring applied timber decoration, ashlar dressings, and roofs covered in Collyweston stone tiles. Their garden structures use stone and terracotta. Richardson's reconstruction after the fire employed stone with Collyweston stone tile roofs.

Plan

The building forms a large country house complex arranged around a courtyard to the northwest, with gardens extending to the south. Moore's 1880s house occupies the south side of the courtyard. George and Yeates remodelled and extended this house to the southeast, adding a great hall with a large tower on its north side. The tower provided bachelor accommodation above a porte-cochère. To the east of the hall lies a billiard room, with the master bedroom and dressing room above (now in office use), accessed internally from the hall's gallery and by an external stair turret on the south elevation. George and Yeates also added a service wing to the northwest of the 1880s house. In 1935–6, Richardson rebuilt the south side of the 1880s house and part of the George and Yeates building following the fire. In 1964, a wing was built on the north side of the tower for Ripon Hall, and a square apse for a chapel was added at the east end of the hall wing. In the late 20th century, the north wing was extended to the south and east by the Open University, incorporating a modern entrance to the building and a link to the former billiard room. The garden terraces lie to the south.

Exterior

The north elevation of Moore's late-19th-century house is generally of two storeys beneath a clay-tiled gable roof topped by moulded brick chimney stacks, with an attic storey at the east end beneath a sweeping hipped roof. It is built of red brick with tile-hung decoration at first-floor level and straight brick heads to the 1935 timber casement windows. Set back to the west is George and Yeates's extension, which created a larger service wing, constructed of coursed rock-faced limestone on the ground floor, rendered with decorative timber above, beneath a gabled roof clad with Collyweston stone tiles. To the east of Moore's house is a flat-roofed, three-storey link of rock-faced limestone and brick on the ground floor and rendered above, built by Richardson in 1935. This connects the west wing to the George and Yeates hall and tower, which together form a north return defining the courtyard. The hall and tower constitute a set piece in coursed rock-faced limestone with ashlar dressings and hoodmoulds to the openings. The 1964 extension and modern main entrance attached to the north of the tower are excluded from the listing.

The porte-cochère openings of the George and Yeates tower have been fitted with late-20th-century glazed infill to create additional interior space; the north wall of the tower has been punctuated to allow access into the main modern reception. The Tudor-arched openings have carved spandrels. Above are two-light mullioned windows to the first, second, and third floors of the tower; the fourth floor is blind. The east elevation of the tower has single lights to the stair turret at the southeast corner and three or four lights to each floor above. Above the fifth storey there is a moulded cornice with carved stone bosses topped by a flat roof with coped parapet, providing commanding views of the surrounding countryside. The projecting stair turret is embattled.

The elevations of the hall are of rock-faced limestone with ashlar dressings, with the east and south elevations rendered at first-floor level with applied decorative timber. The north elevation, which would have been visible to visitors arriving at the porte-cochère, features buttresses between which are four large mullioned and transomed windows with ashlar surrounds beneath shallow segmental heads. Each window has four lights with leaded glazing and central panels of heraldic glass by Baron Rosenkrantz. At the east end of the north elevation, a 20th-century glazed link to the red brick extension constructed by the Open University is inserted through a ground-floor opening of the billiard room. Here and at the east elevation are projecting gables supported on jetties with carved stone brackets over the ground floor. The gables are rendered with timber decoration. At the ground floor of the east end is a projecting square apse clad in limestone with glazed panels, added during the late 20th century during Ripon Hall's tenure of the site. The south elevation of the hall is dominated by a low sweeping roofline that projects beyond the south wall of the hall, encircling the angular stone stair turret, which formerly created an open verandah but is now infilled with modern glazing to form an atrium. The south wall of the hall has been punctuated by late-20th-century openings into the atrium covered by the sweeping roof, approached by a modern ramp. To the right is a projecting rendered gable with a central casement window lighting the master bedroom suite within; to the east is the south elevation of the billiard room. The roof over the hall and billiard room is covered with Collyweston stone tiles, with pairs of chimney stacks in limestone with ashlar dressings to the south and north, and a ridge stack at the east end of the hall. Rainwater goods include hoppers moulded with the letter 'B'.

To the left (northwest) of the hall is Richardson's rebuilding following the 1935 fire, incorporating elements of both Moore's late-19th-century house and the George and Yeates reconfiguration in an L-shaped plan. It is of two storeys with an attic, also constructed of rock-faced limestone beneath a hipped roof clad with Collyweston stone tiles, within which are dormer windows beneath pent roofs. Original cast-iron rainwater goods with hoppers dated 1935 are present. The windows throughout are timber casements with square leaded glazing beneath straight brick heads. The projecting wing, which houses the library and forms part of Moore's house, has been partially rebuilt in limestone and has a south-facing double-height bay. The wing's west elevation is of red brick with a large central stack; to the left of this is a tile-hung oriel window supported on timber brackets, and to the left again is an inserted late-20th-century stair. Beneath this wing is a cellar where Earl Berkeley conducted experiments, accessed by a separate external stair. To the left (northwest) is the extended west wing by George and Yeates, of rock-faced coursed limestone on the ground floor, with the first floor rendered with timber decoration and gables to the north, south, and west.

Interior

The entrance into Berkeley's country home was through the porte-cochère at the base of the tower. A Tudor-arched door opening with dentiled architrave and deeply panelled wooden door featuring delicate linenfold panelling and heraldic motifs are set into a barrel-vaulted opening and lead into a loggia lit by a window to the right of the door. A side room off the loggia was probably intended for cloaks. A Tudor-arched panelled door is set in a timber, part-glazed partition and retains its original metal door knocker and bell incorporating the Berkeley crest, both designed by Starkie Gardner. Beyond lies the main hall, a dramatic full-height space largely panelled to half-height and lit by the four large north windows set in splayed openings with heraldic glass panels bearing the coats of arms of the Earls Berkeley from the 12th century onwards. The wall panelling is plain with some linenfold detailing; feature panels between the north windows are carved with trees, foliation, pomegranates, and dentils. The exposed timber roof structure comprises common and principal rafters with pairs of side purlins and a central ridge piece. The collars have dentils and are supported by wide moulded curved braces resting on carved stone corbels; carved timber caryatids support the corbels at the west end. Above the collars are curved shores to the principals. There are lightly cusped ogee windbraces to each pitch. To the west is a mullioned and transomed stained glass window; the windows to the east have square leaded glazing. A large stone fireplace is located on the south side of the hall. It has a Tudor-arched opening to the grate with carved spandrels and a metal fireback cast with the Berkeley coat of arms. The shelf above is supported by carved bosses. The overmantel is framed by pilasters which support an elaborate frieze of carved bosses and dentils, at the centre of which is a gilt Berkeley coat of arms flanked on both sides by ribbons containing script, presumably the Berkeley motto. On either side of the fireplace, the wall has been broken through to provide access to the modern glazed atrium. The floor covering is modern carpet over the original stone. West of the extension is the garden room, noted as the boudoir in the original plan. It has deeply recessed and splayed window openings overlooking the garden and originally had a separate entrance onto the terrace. It features fielded panelling, a Rococo Revival marble fireplace, and a plaster over-door composed of arrows and ribbons.

To the east of the hall is a tiled room, presumably providing toilet facilities, through which a stair to the rooms above was inserted in the late 20th century. To the right of this room is a panelled corridor leading to the billiard room, now remodelled to form offices; the corridor panelling was reconfigured, probably when the staircase was inserted. The doors here, and elsewhere in the George and Yeates building, are panelled, generally beneath Tudor-arched heads with dentil architraves. They have elaborate furniture, with handles and finger plates featuring dragons and decorative face-mounted hinges. The windows are all casements and, like the doors, retain their original latches. The billiard room interior is plain with deep timber cornices; the former chapel's apse forms part of the offices. A window opening on the north wall has been altered to form a door to a modern link with the modern extension to the north; both the link and extension are excluded from the listing. To the south (left) of the door into the hall is a blocked doorway; it is possible that this would have led to the morning room had it been built. Above the billiard room are Earl Berkeley's chambers, now offices. These would have been accessed both by the external stair turret and from the L-shaped gallery against the south and west walls of the hall, approached by a wide stair at the west end. The Earl's bedroom has painted plastered ceilings with plain timber cornices and skirtings; the fire surrounds here and in the dressing room have carved wooden and Delft tile surrounds. The bathroom has marble tiles to the west and north walls.

Richardson's rebuilt west wing, accessed from the west end of the hall, has axial corridors on each floor off which rooms are accessed. The corridors have varying levels, some graded for ease of access. The west wing in general is much restored; it is not entirely clear how much damage was caused by the fire, but the George and Yeates plan of the polite rooms is retained on the ground and first floors. On the ground floor, Berkeley's sitting room, annotated as a drawing room on the plan reproduced by Grainger, has been used as a common room, offices, and a meeting room. It has a modern appearance with a panelled ceiling subdivided by transverse bridging beams with simple mouldings. At its west end is an inglenook fireplace with carved timber panels and a Tudor-arched opening; the stone fire surround has a carved timber overmantel. Further west is the former library, within the 1880s house. Here the plaster cornices have mouldings of dolphins, dragons, and shields, also repeated on the electrical switch plates and door furniture. The wooden wall and door panels are inlaid with marquetry. The metal fireplace has Art Deco styling; the wooden overmantel has recessed panels of foliation, the Berkeley coat of arms, and symbols, all in marquetry. The original bookshelves remain fixed in place. Lady Berkeley's drawing room and bedroom on the first floor are accessed from the gallery at the west end of the hall. Now offices, these are much plainer in treatment than Lord Berkeley's chambers. The drawing room has a fireplace with a Delft tile surround and an arched wooden chimneypiece over. The cornices are plain and the ceiling is panelled with a central transverse bridging beam carved with a horn and Latin script which translates as 'They were not too in love with life to die'. The rooms on the first and second floors of the wing are much plainer, with some simple cast-iron fireplaces remaining and matchboard cladding to the ceilings in some; these were servants' quarters and were later used as college accommodation. Further to the west on both floors is the former service wing. The interiors of the service wing are excluded from the listing, the rooms being generally remodelled to form offices and modern facilities.

The upper floors of the tower are accessed from the hall's west gallery. A steep stone dog-leg stair leads to the bachelor rooms on each floor; these are fitted with simple fireplaces, cornices, and skirtings, with some bathroom furniture from the 1930s.

Subsidiary Features

The garden structures comprise a terrace with projecting curved steps at each end leading to the rockery and garden below. The terrace wall is of rock-faced limestone with ashlar coping; the steps to the garden have lattice balustrades. To the west (left) is a sunken Italian garden with a central stone seat in Art Nouveau style featuring a running heart and ribbon motif which continues along the arcaded balustrade. The retaining walls are of rock-faced limestone topped with terracotta arcaded balustrades between square-section piers surmounted by statuary.

The gateway of the former north entrance comprises simply detailed gates hung from square limestone piers with ashlar dressings and topped with heraldic statuary. They are contemporary with the George and Yeates remodelling of 1898–1904.