Dodington House

Dodington House is a grade I listed building, constructed between 1796 and 1816 by the architect James Wyatt for Christopher Bethell Codrington. Built in limestone ashlar with slate and copper roofs, the house exemplifies Roman classical style.

The west front presents two storeys across nine bays. Its most striking feature is an immense hexastyle portico with Roman Corinthian columns set on plinths, crowned by a shallow pediment. The portico vault is curved and panelled, with flat panelled ceilings in the bays to either side. The central five bays, set behind the portico, rest on a plinth and contain three central tall round-headed openings with twentieth-century glass doors. Between these openings sit small niches containing metal lions. The two outer bays project slightly forward, framed by Roman Corinthian antae and two freestanding columns, with taller similar openings set in recesses and fitted with twentieth-century glass doors. Above runs a string course. At first floor level, the three central bays feature a balcony supported on scrolled console brackets with acanthus decoration and lion masks, with a cast iron screen of five panels separated by fluted balusters. Three twentieth-century French windows open onto this balcony through plain reveals, with a moulded string course above. The two outer bays display a stone balustrade between pilasters and a similar French window. The two bays flanking the portico to either side have concealed basement windows below a moulded plinth, large sashes in plain reveals at ground floor level, a band course, and two 9-pane sashes at first floor. A moulded string course, cornice and blocking course cap the facade. Cast iron trelliswork with Greek key pattern fronts the ground floor level. All sashes have thin glazing bars throughout.

The south front extends two storeys with a central attic bay, arranged in a 2:3:2 bay pattern. The centre breaks forward slightly with a recessed central bay containing a tall twentieth-century French window with side lights and recessed panels below each, and recessed panels on flanking pilasters. A cornice and pediment crown this section. Engaged Roman Corinthian columns rise the full height of the elevation on either side, breaking through a continuous band course. A 9-pane sash in a moulded architrave sits at first floor level. On each flank, a Roman Corinthian pilaster frames a large sash in a moulded architrave at ground floor with a recessed panel on the apron and floating cornice, matched by a similar 9-pane sash at first floor. Above runs a frieze and cornice. The central bay extends into an attic storey with a recessed panel and a 3-pane central window, flanked by plain pilasters and topped with a cornice and terminal balustrades. The two outer bays have a moulded plinth, two large sashes in plain reveals at ground floor, two 9-pane sashes at first floor, a moulded string course, cornice and blocking course.

The east elevation rises through a basement and two storeys across 3:5:3 bays. The outer three bays break forward with a semicircular bow extending the full height. At basement level, the lower part is rendered in rusticated sandstone, featuring five central 16-pane sashes and three similar sashes within the right bow. The left bow has a blocked window, French window and 16-pane sash. A moulded string course marks the cills of the ground floor windows, which are large sashes throughout. A band course separates this floor from the first floor, which displays 9-pane sashes beneath a moulded string course, cornice and blocking course. All windows sit in plain reveals.

The north elevation features two projecting wings in ashlar; the remainder is rendered. The left wing displays two twentieth-century French windows at basement level and a large recess at ground floor with a segmental head and band course. A blind window appears at first floor, with the string course and cornice returned from the south elevation. The right wing above the Orangery shows a similar arrangement with one 16-pane sash and a blind window at first floor. The central bays contain irregular windows including sashes and one 21-pane sash, topped by a cornice and parapet. A two-storey block to the left features an external stair leading to a door and a leaded dome with lantern. The north elevation formerly had an attached servants wing, which was demolished in 1932.

The interior is exceptionally fine. The vestibule contains alcoves with shallow guilloche mouldings and fanned domes. The entrance hall, extending the full length of the west portico, has three steps at either end. Porphyry scagliola columns with gilded composite capitals support a frieze set with lion masks and a compartmented ceiling. At each end, the ceiling features elliptical coving with gilded trophies of arms in the corners. The octagonal coffering is taken from the Basilica of Maxentius in Rome. The floor repeats the ceiling pattern in black marble, red stone and Painswick stone with brass inlay. A black marble and gilt fireplace occupies the rear, with three round-arched recesses and a central round-headed niche on either side. Tall panelled doors flank the niches.

Opening to the rear right of the hall, the great staircase is planned on the axis of the vestibule leading towards the garden to the south. The first flight divides on a landing into two parallel second flights. The ironwork, made circa 1760 in Rococo style and possibly Italian, was brought from Fonthill, Wiltshire (demolished 1808). Wyatt added a reeded handrail with Regency balusters between wrought iron panels, some of which rise above the rail as gasoliers designed by Bramah. The first floor landing is supported by three arches carried on fluted columns with composite capitals. The floor above features Corinthian columns and balconies on either side leading to passages. A central lantern with ribbed dome crowns the staircase.

The library and drawing room occupy the south front, divided by an octagonal vestibule. Both contain fine marble fireplaces. The drawing room features scagliola pilasters made by Bertoli and Alcott, and fine doors with a frieze above depicting winged animals and urns, repeated below the cornice. Panelled shutters flank the windows.

The house was undergoing restoration at the time of the survey in September 1984.