Heytesbury House

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 01/10/2012

ST 94 SW 4/84

HEYTESBURY PARK STREET (north side) Heytesbury House

GV II*

Country house. A rebuilding of 1782 for the Ash a Court family and alterations 1820. Limestone ashlar, hipped Welsh slate roof, ashlar stacks. Large rectangular block with courtyard range to west. Three-storey, 11-windowed; sashes. Central semi-circular Ionic porch with double half-glazed doors, five margin-pane French windows either side with blind boxes. First floor has eleven 12-pane sashes. Second floor has eleven 6-pane sashes. Dentilled eaves cornice and plain blocking course. To left of front is 2-storey, 5-windowed range with 12-pane sashes and 6-panelled doors, dentilled eaves cornice. Left return is 2-storey, 7-windowed in English bond brick with central round-arched opening to courtyard, sashes and some blind windows. Courtyard has sashes, tripartite sashes, and 6-panelled doors. Right return has central bow with 3 French windows and 3 sashes to first floor, three 6-pane sashes to second floor. Rear has 2-storey range to right with tripartite sashes and blind windows, main range to left has two projecting wings with sashes, infill of 1820 has central Greek Doric portico in antis with 6-panelled double doors in eared architrave, lead down pipes and rainwater heads. Interior not accessible at time of survey (June 1985), but reputed to contain some evidence of an earlier house. 1820 rear entrance hall has segmental arches to ceiling with glazed dome. 1780's interior includes dining room with Roman Doric columns flanking servery, rococo fireplace from Wardour. C18 chimneypieces and joinery intact. C18 Chinese wallpaper in drawing room. Open-well staircase with iron balustrade and mahogany handrail. Siegfried Sassoon, the war poet, lived here for over thirty years until his death in 1967. House set in park with fine planting. (N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England; Wiltshire, 1975: E.D. Ginever, The Ancient Wiltshire Village of Heytesbury, 1981.)

Listing NGR: ST9319742825