Kings Nympton Park

Kings Nympton Park is a country house built between 1746 and 1750 by architect Francis Cartwright for James Buller. The house is a Palladian villa closely based on Roger Morris's Marble Hill (circa 1728) in Twickenham, with a similar plan and form.

The main east garden front is built in red brick laid in English bond with ashlar dressings. The other elevations are constructed of local stone rubble with bands of red brick and moulded stringcourses, though the house was probably originally intended to be stuccoed. The roof is an asbestos tile pyramid hipped roof with a leaded finial and weathervane at the apex. The two axial stacks are rendered and have been rebuilt. The building has two storeys, an attic and basement, with the first floor functioning as a piano nobile.

The principal east garden front displays a 1:3:1 bay arrangement, with the centre three bays broken forward. The ground floor features rusticated ashlar with giant Ionic engaged columns, repeated on the first and second floors, supporting an entablature with a pulvinated frieze and a large pediment containing the Buller arms (the pediment has been rebuilt). A deep ashlar frieze runs below the first floor windows, and there is a modillion eaves cornice. All original sash windows survive with thick glazing bars: nine panes on the ground floor, twelve on the first floor, and six on the second floor. The first and second floor outer windows are set in moulded stone architraves with pulvinated friezes and cornices. The three central ground floor windows have very large keystones, and the central opening contains the original glazed garden double doors.

The south and north elevations are similar to each other, featuring three symmetrical bays of original sashes. On the north side, the outer windows are blind. The first floor has a brick frieze with moulded stone stringcourses, and window openings have flat arches with projecting keystones. The north elevation retains a small single-storey flat-roof addition from the late 19th century with a moulded cornice and sash windows, probably originally built as a cloakroom.

The west entrance front has a symmetrical 1:3:1 bay elevation with the centre three bays advanced, all with original sash windows with thick glazing bars. This elevation is built of stone rubble with bands of red brick. The wide first floor band (frieze) has stone stringcourses, and window openings have flat stone arches with keystones. At the centre is a doorway in a rusticated stone Gibb's surround, probably with original 19th-century glazed double doors. A large portico, also probably 19th century, has Tuscan columns and piers supporting an entablature that breaks forward at the centre with a pediment. The portico sides have wrought iron lattice spandrels. The basement area is covered with light wells over each window and steps down to the side of the main entrance portico. At the bottom of the steps is a reused 16th-century window with two four-centred arched lights.

Interior features are largely intact. The entrance hall contains a fine stone cantilevered staircase with a wrought iron balustrade and modillion cornice, and two pairs of Tuscan columns. The parlour on the south-west side has dado panelling and an original moulded chimneypiece. The library is fitted with original shelves. Rather than a large first floor saloon, building accounts refer to a cube room which was not constructed. The suite of first floor rooms on the north side are complete with chimneypieces, and the north-east room was Mr Buller's bedchamber. The second floor bedchambers retain simple box cornices.

The ground floor north-east corner, now the kitchen, was originally the housekeeper's room adjacent to the back stairs, which has an original framed staircase. The cantilevered stone flight down to the cellar has a later wooden balustrade. The cellars are virtually unaltered, with brick groin vaults on square piers with stone imposts. Incorporated into the cellars are two 16th-century moulded stone doorframes, one with carved spandrels. The kitchen has a large fireplace, smoking chamber, and bread ovens, each with keyblocks to their segmental arches. Many other contemporary interior features are likely to have survived intact.

Minor additions were made in the 19th century: a portico was added to the main west entrance around the mid-19th century, and a small single-storey wing was built on the north side in the late 19th century. In the 20th century the roof was repaired and modified, with the eaves gutter carried over the former blocking course.

Historically, Kings Nympton Park was formerly known as New Place and was the seat of the Buller family, who purchased it from the Northcotes. The park was first enclosed by Sir Lewis Pollard in the late 15th century. The earlier house on the site no longer stands except for a few fragments reused in the cellars of the present building. A piece of lead recovered from the roof during repairs bears the outline of a hand, initials CK, and the date 1747.