Ramsbury Manor

Ramsbury Manor is a great house built between 1681 and 1683, likely designed by Robert Hooke for Sir William Jones, who was the attorney-general. It stands on the site of a house that belonged to the Earl of Pembroke around 1560, replacing a palace of the Bishops of Salisbury. The manor is constructed of brick with stone dressings and has a tiled roof. It is two stories tall with attics and a basement, becoming three stories on the south side. The building has a double pile plan with nine by six bays and includes servants' cottages to the south, forming a courtyard that is enclosed by a conservatory built in 1775.

The central three bays of the elevation are quoined and project outward, featuring central glazed doors that lead up a flight of steps and are topped with a segmental pediment. The crowning pediment displays arms and festoons. The windows are 24-pane sashes with stone architraves and cornices, complemented by a rich modillion cornice. The roof is hipped and includes six flat-roofed dormers, with four on the returns. A cupola lights the central well, and there are panelled stacks. The rear elevation mirrors the front, with two central bays featuring a pediment and a pair of segmental pedimented doors.

Inside, the entrance hall is adorned with 17th-century panelling and leads to a rear saloon that boasts an 18th-century plaster ceiling and a finely carved overmantel in the style of Grinling Gibbons. The principal stairway, located on the north side, dates from around 1800, while a secondary stair to the south of the cross axis features heavy turned balusters and a connecting bridge at the first-floor level. Most other internal features are from the mid to late 18th century, including fireplaces and a library, as well as one bedroom decorated with Chinese wallpaper. The conservatory to the south of the courtyard has five tall arched windows and a full-length pediment.