Stourhead House

Stourhead House

A country house built between 1721 and 1724 for Henry Hoare by architect Colen Campbell. Library and picture gallery pavilions were added between 1796 and 1800 for Colt Hoare. An east portico was added in 1840, and following a significant fire in 1902, the central block was rebuilt between 1902 and 1906 by Doran Webb and Sir Aston Webb.

The house is constructed of limestone ashlar with Lakeland slate hipped roofs and ashlar stacks. It comprises a central 18th-century range with added wings and pavilions, arranged around a service court on the north side. The building is two storeys over basements with a five-window front elevation.

The principal facade features a tetrastyle portico added in 1840, based on Colen Campbell's original 18th-century design. It has Composite columns, a modillioned cornice, and a pediment topped with a lead statue from the Temple of Apollo. The rusticated basement has chamfered detailing and 6-pane sashes. Balustraded steps lead up to the portico, flanked by large urns on plinths. The principal floor has double half-glazed doors flanked by cross windows within the portico, with casements and pediments on either side. The first floor features three blind windows in moulded architraves and 2-light casements with eared and shouldered architraves on either side. A modillioned cornice supports a balustraded parapet with corner urns. Above the pediment sits an attic block also adorned with statues from the Temple of Apollo.

Flanking the main block are one-bay wings and three-bay pavilions set over rusticated basements with tall casements and cornices. Small casements light the attics. All front windows of the library pavilion are blind. Balustraded parapets with ball finials were added around 1904 by Doran Webb.

The right and left returns of the main block contain ten bays with Venetian windows and cross windows in Gibbs surrounds at principal floor level. The first floors have ten cross windows in moulded architraves. Lead rainwater heads dated 1722 are present. The library's south pavilion features French windows with a lunette above to the left return, and 12-pane and 6-pane sashes to the rear. The picture gallery to the north has blind windows to the side and rear. Linking wings have 12-pane sashes.

The rear of the main block features a recessed distyle in antis first floor portico with pediment and projecting two-bay wings, all work of Doran Webb. Wing casements in Gibbs surrounds face the principal floor, with central round-arched French windows to a rusticated recessed entrance. Balustraded steps over the basement and balustrade to the portico were added by Sir Aston Webb.

On the west side of the north court stands a service wing with a four-panelled door, casements, and sashes. The first floor billiard room above was added by Doran Webb. A diagonally-set outbuilding, possibly a game larder, stands on the west side.

The interior was entirely rebuilt following the 1902 fire using photographs of the pre-fire interior. Plasterwork was undertaken by Agostini of Bristol. The staircase was redesigned with two arms instead of one. Fireplaces in the Saloon and Italian Room were brought from Wavendon in 1912.

The library, dating from around 1800, survived the fire and retains Colt Hoare's original fittings. It features a shallow barrel-vaulted ceiling with stained glass in the west lunette by F. Eginton and a painted lunette to the east by S. Woodforde. A fireplace from Wavendon is present, and oval niches over doors contain Rysbrack busts.

The picture gallery also remained intact, retaining its white marble fireplace with classical frieze and modillioned ceiling cornice. Woodwork and fine contemporary furnishings specially designed by Chippendale are present in both the library and picture gallery. Other fittings include mahogany doors dating from around 1905.

Despite the 1902 fire, Stourhead House remains important as a Palladian villa in England, set within landscaped parkland with the renowned Stourhead Gardens to the west. The London banking family of Hoares acquired the estate in 1714. The old Stourton House was demolished around 1720, and Stourhead was built slightly to the north west. Sir Henry Colt Arthur Hoare gave the greater part of the estate to the National Trust in 1946.