Wilbury House

Wilbury House is a large house dating from circa 1710/12 to 1725, originally designed by William Benson, possibly with assistance from Colen Campbell, and built on the site of an earlier house belonging to Nathaniel Fiennes, the home of Celia Fiennes. The construction incorporates Roman cement with a rusticated stone basement and quoins, topped with a slate roof. The design draws inspiration from Palladio's Pojana Maggiore, featuring an axial hall and saloon arranged at right angles to accommodate the north entrance, and flanked by staircases. Bedrooms and withdrawing rooms are situated in the angles. The main south elevation is based on Webb's Amesbury Abbey (1661), adapted with influences from Inigo Jones. The original design was published in Vitruvius Britannicus, but was likely modified during construction. The house is now two stories over a basement and comprises seven bays, with a large Corinthian tetrastyle portico with a perron stair of Malcontenta type at the center. A tripartite south door was added around 1770, accompanied by an entablature and long consoles. The windows are fifteen-paned sashes on the ground floor, and twelve-paned above, all with moulded architraves. A full-length fluted frieze is interspersed with paterae, topped by a cornice and a low parapet with six waisted urns. Extensions were added to both ends of the south elevation around 1760, incorporating half-octagonal single-story bays raised above the basement, and balustraded parapets. The north elevation features eight window bays, with rusticated quoins; the central four bays project forward, incorporating a loggia porch supported by four Ionic columns and a central pair of glazed doors enhanced with fanlights. Fifteen-paned sashes are on the ground floor, twelve-paned above, all with moulded architraves. Arms are displayed at the center of the first floor. A service wing extends from the north-east side. A bow window with sliding shutters is present on the west elevation.

The interior is notable for its early 18th-century design, significantly improved by Henry Hoare between 1731 and 1740, with further plasterwork by Fulke Greville after 1742, and minor alterations around 1770. The axial hall features panelled walls with a Greek fret frieze, a central door leading to the saloon with a broken pediment, and matching side niches. The ceiling includes a central oval feature and decorative border. The saloon, with a proportion of 3:4, has richly moulded doorcases, frames, and niches, with applied plasterwork depicting busts of Roman emperors in roundels, an entablature, and a coved ceiling exhibiting illusionary coffering, complemented by a scagliola floor. A chimney piece has a mantel supported by consoles, and a relief plaster scene depicting dolphins is positioned above. A red drawing room in the south-east corner boasts panelled walls, a cornice, a timber fire surround with marble slips, and a wing room, originally a chapel, features a moulded relief by Burne Jones above the window. William Benson conveyed the deeds of the house to Henry Hoare II in 1734, who subsequently sold it to Fulke Greville in 1742.