Conkwell Grange

ST 76 SE WINSLEY CONKWELL

3/292 Conkwell Grange

II

Country house, dated 1907, by Sir E.G. Dawber for J. Thornton, squared rubble stone with ashlar dressings, tall hipped stone slate roofs and prominent rubble stone stacks with ashlar quoins. Two storeys and attic, late C17 style with symmetrical garden front, asymmetrical entrance front and L-plan service court. Glazing bar windows in ashlar architraves with keystones, channelled rusticated angle piers, raised ashlar band and modillion eaves cornice. Two-five-two bay garden front has hipped advanced wings, hipped dormers, one each wing, three to centre, and two ridge stacks. Ground floor sashes have segmental heads. Centre-piece has French windows each floor, ground floor in bolection moulded surround with keystone and consoles supporting balcony with iron railings, upper in architrave with triple keystone. Segmental pediment breaking eaves above. Two windows each side on ground floor, but outer windows only on first floor as centre is flanked by oval plaques with EM and MM initials for Sir E. and Lady Milborne, owners in mid C20. Service wing, set back, extends to right, three-window range with centre window under shaped gable, then gable with projecting balustraded ground floor and canted wooden bay over. West end wall of main house has large canted bay with sashes. Entrance front has far projecting wing to left, screening service court, slight projection to right, both hipped, hipped dormers, and projecting porch gable to right of centre. Porch gable has Ionic angle pilasters, entablature with date and shaped gable with bullseye over. Gable is of late C17 type with crowning pediment. First floor 3-light window and ground floor double doors in moulded architrave with large open segmental pediment and heavily carved floral roundel within. One-window range to right of porch, two-window to left. Two-window range to west face of projecting wing. From wing a balustraded wall runs north to pyramid-roofed game larder in corner of service court. East face of wing has two-window range to court and tall pyramid- roofed stair tower in angle to plainer south range of service court. Interiors: apparently little altered from original. Ground floor centre has fine panelled room in early C18 style with ceiling plasterwork in manner of E. Gimson. Some pedimented doorcases and panelled doors. Oak dog-leg stair at west end.

Listing NGR: ST7890061572