Kingston Lacy House

Kingston Lacy House is a large house built between 1663 and 1665 by Sir Ralph Barker, with the architect being Sir Roger Pratt. It was altered around 1835 by architect Charles Barry. The house features ashlar stone walls and a hipped lead roof with a dentil cornice and a central balustraded flat topped by a cupola. It has a compact rectangular plan, consisting of two storeys plus a basement and attics. The basement walls are rusticated, and there are rusticated quoins on the upper storeys. The entrance is located on the north front, where the ground level has been lowered to create three full storeys.

The projecting centre bay has a pediment that contains a carved coat of arms. At the basement level, there is a portico with rusticated arches, Tuscan pilasters, and a balustraded parapet adorned with carved lions at the corners. The basement features eight casement windows with glazing bars, while both the ground and first floors each have nine double-hung sash windows with glazing bars set in moulded surrounds. The attic includes two dormers with curved pediments on the south (garden) front, which has two storeys and attics, along with a large central balustraded dormer featuring three round-headed openings separated by pilasters and balustraded aprons.

There is also an attached raised terrace with a balustrade and stone runs, as well as an attached service range to the west of the house, dating from the 18th century, which has brick walls and slate roofs, along with a timber bell turret and casement windows with lead lights. Inside, most features date from the 18th century or around 1835, including a white marble staircase with turned balusters and a sculptured frieze. The ornamental ceiling has a painting attributed to Giorgione, while the library features a ceiling painting by Guido Reni. The dining room includes panelling with tapestry panels and an ornamental plaster ceiling. The ground salon, which spans the full height of the house, has a barrel vaulted ceiling with painted decoration, and the Spanish dining room contains pointings from the School of Veronese.