Hope House

Hope House is a house, now divided into a house and two flats, built around 1708 for Miles Parker, with a rear extension dating to around 1720 and alterations made around 1800. It is constructed of limestone ashlar with a flat lead roof, stone slate gables, and ashlar end stacks on stone-coped gables. The house has a double-depth plan and is in a Baroque style, originally a three-window range over three storeys.

A semi-circular arch sits above a doorway to the left, featuring a six-panelled door with two glazed panes and a decorative fanlight. Cast-iron columns support a c.1800 stuccoed bow window above the door, incorporating a tripartite sash window within a reeded architrave and a moulded cornice. A similar two-storey bow window is positioned in the right bay. The centre of the front features early 18th-century blind windows with heavy, keyed, segmental-arched architraves. A raised storey band and pilaster strips are present, along with similar blind attic windows with keystones touching the parapet band. Blind panels decorate the parapet. The three-bay right gable wall displays similar blind windows, with semi-circular arches on the ground floor.

The rear right wing, extending to Hensington Road, dates to around 1720, and is two storeys and attic in height, with a two-window range. It features a brick end stack and six-pane sashes set in moulded stone architraves with ground-floor cornices. C18 hipped roof dormers have moulded cornices. A late 19th-century outshut is located to the left. The rear left range, housing the stairs, was altered in the early 19th century and has a hipped roof.

Inside, the hall has stone-flag floors and C18 two-panelled doors to the left, with an early 19th-century doorway to the right. An open-well staircase is situated to the rear of the hall. The early 19th-century staircase has stick balusters at the bottom, leading to an early 18th-century staircase with heavy turned balusters and square newels. A late 17th-century plank and stud partition is positioned to the left of the stairs. A late 17th-century plank door leads to a stone winder staircase down to the cellar, which contains a 17th-century chamfered stone-mullioned window. A room to the right of the hall has an early 18th-century beaded stone fireplace and an early 19th-century cornice. An early 18th-century panelled door opens to a rear right room, which has fine early 18th-century bolection panelling and a marble fireplace. A similar panelled room is located above.

Hope House is one of two houses in Woodstock, the other being The Bishop's House on Rectory Lane, which are early 18th century and emulate the Baroque architecture of Blenheim Palace. Miles Parker, a maltster and former Councillor and Mayor of Woodstock, was involved in the supply of funds for the construction of Blenheim Palace as Receiver General of Taxes.