Heale House

Heale House is a large Grade I listed house at Woodford, built in two main phases. The earliest part dates from 1571, built for Gerard Errington, with a substantial house constructed between 1670 and 1700 for Robert Hyde. The building was greatly extended between 1898 and 1910 by the architects Detmar Blow and Billerey for the Honourable Louis Greville, who substantially reworked and enlarged the earlier structure.

The exterior is constructed of Flemish bond brickwork with stone dressings on flint chequerwork sills, with lead and tiled roofs. The building comprises two storeys with cellars and attics. The southern end preserves the 17th-century five-bay house, returning approximately four bays. After 1894 the building was considerably extended northwards to create a symmetrical west front of nine bays, while a large drawing room was added to the east. The 20th century saw minor alterations to the north front.

The south front features a quoined central bay with a pediment set forward. A glazed door sits within a moulded stone surround with a broken pediment. Moulded stone cross windows of around 1900 replace the original sashes. The roof is hipped. The west front has three central bays with a central boarded door in a stone architrave and triangular pediment. Stone cross windows are present, those on the ground floor featuring cornices. A niche is set centrally on the first floor. Short forward wings flank either side, each with a blind arched niche on the ground floor beneath a broken pediment, cross windows above, and steeply gabled pediments. This facade is mostly the work of Blow, who reworked the earlier building from the central door to the right. The two end bays on each side also have cross windows, though the left bay features a projecting stone stair tower added by the client as an alteration to Blow's design. Four hipped dormers and brick stacks complete the composition. The north front is similar in character, though the tall entrance door with its eared bolection moulded doorcase and frieze was relocated in the 20th century. The eastern drawing room block comprises five bays, the central three quoined, with a very tall doorcase featuring a scrolled broken pediment.

The interior is richly appointed. The entrance hall contains a plaster ceiling with pendants by Jacksons executed in a strapwork design. This leads through to the main stair hall, which contains an excellent mid-17th-century oak stair with heavy turned balusters and ball finials, possibly brought from London. A painted ceiling in mid-18th-century style completes the space. Panelling from Newport Pagnell is also present. To the left, the sitting room features early 18th-century panelling and a stone fireplace. The east drawing room is notable for its carved wood caryatid fireplace set in a wide recess flanked by Corinthian columns, with an elaborate cornice. The ceiling dome was removed in the 20th century, as were pediments over doorways. This room was designed by Blow based on Lord Aberconway's House in North Audley Street, London. The office at the end of the stair hall contains French baroque panelling and a ceiling by Jacksons in 18th-century style. The south-west room features a fine stone chimneypiece and plaster ceiling. The dining room contains a wood carved overmantel, believed to be original from a small panelled room, and a pendant strapwork plaster ceiling by Jacksons. First floors were laid in concrete during the 20th century alterations.

The house is set within outstanding gardens designed by Harold Peto, featuring stone balustrades, various walls and structures including a Tea House and Japanese bridge. The site occupies the location of an earlier house where King Charles II stayed following the Battle of Worcester in 1651, while awaiting his flight to France.