Sunbury Court

Sunbury Court is a country house, now serving as a Salvation Army Conference and training centre. The core of the house dates to the early 18th century, with extensions added in the later 18th century and 19th century. It is constructed of red brick with whitewashed stucco dressings, and has hipped slate roofs concealed by a balustraded parapet. The original house appears to be enveloped by later end wings, forming the central range on the south side. The house has two storeys over a basement, with multiple stacks to the ends and centre. The basement has a channelled rusticated plinth and end piers, topped by a balustraded parapet with square end newels crowned by urn finials.

The entrance front has a five-window range, with the central three bays under a modillioned pediment supported by four giant Ionic pilasters. There are three small square sash windows to the first floor in lugged architraves, larger plate sash windows on the ends, and on the ground floor in matching surrounds. A balustraded Doric porte-cochere is positioned on the ground floor centre, approached from either side by curved balustraded ramps. Double doors are set within a moulded surround in the centre. The south front, facing Lower Sunbury Road, features a seven-bay centre range with a pedimented break, flanked by projecting three-bay end wings. Channelled rustication appears on the end piers of each range, and a giant Ionic pilaster order extends to the centre three bays, topped by a modillioned pediment. Plate glass sash fenestration is present, with smaller square windows to the basement. A central ground floor sash window is situated where a former entrance once stood, featuring an Ionic attached-column surround with vermiculated block rustication, and a grotesque keystone head above. A decorative panel connects the window sill to the first floor window.

The east face is similar to the entrance front, but incorporates paired Ionic pilasters either side of the centre range, and a small Doric portico reached by a flight of stone steps with swept balusters and end columns under spherical caps.

Interior features include a staircase hall, D-shaped in plan, with a guilloche frieze and late 18th-century decoration. The walls have lugged panels, and the cornice is a triglyph and floral metope frieze. A five-scroll wrought-iron railing with a mahogany banister borders the stairs, and the ceiling has lugged panels with gilt bosses. Broken pediments top the door cases, featuring Ionic pilasters and columns arranged in a “Venetian” style. A music room possesses a deep-panelled ceiling with a central rose, floral decoration in the panels, and gilt wood pier glass mirrors fixed into the wall panelling. It also includes a scrolled stone fireplace. The dining room features broken pediment door cases, panelled doors and reveals, and arcadian wall paintings by the Swedish painter Elias Martin from 1768 to 1780, set within egg and dart lugged plaster surrounds. Grisaille over-door paintings depict frolicking cherubs. A mid-19th century conference hall has panelled walls and a Gothic style, with trefoil piercings to the main roof braces.