Tocknells House

Tocknells House is a large, detached house built in 1860 by Benjamin Bucknall for the Codrington family, who owned Tocknells Court. The house is constructed of limestone ashlar with plain tile roofs. It is a four-square block with a half-octagonal staircase bay and a projecting gabled wing to the right of the entrance front, and a low, gabled wing attached to the left. The building has two storeys and attics, with a partial basement.

The entrance front features one and two-light casement windows to the stair tower. Centrally, there is a three-light mullion and transom window above a porch; set within a coped gable, to the right is a small quatrefoil vent over a two-light over three-light mullion and transom casement, with no ground-floor window present. Two continuous chamfered strings run along the facade. The projecting gabled porch is flanked by three openings now containing plate glass windows, with a pair of plank doors fitted with strap hinges. A lean-to extension to the left of the stair contains a two-light and a single-light opening. Further to the left is a recessed lower block with a plank door. On the return right, a coped gable covers a three-light transomed casement with a stopped hood, positioned above a two-storey canted bay with one, three, one transomed casements on each level, topped with a cut stone hipped roof. A one-over-two-light transomed casement is found in the projecting arm to the left. Continuous strings are present at two levels.

The garden front, which is two storeys with attic and partial basement, contains several gabled sections with transomed casements in one, two, three, or four lights. A door is flanked by single lights, positioned off-centre to the right. Two ridge stacks are present: one to the right with four terminals and another to the left with eight, both featuring lofty cylindrical terminals topped with heavy, mediaeval-style cappings. Unique to the main house are stone gutters supported on brackets and octagonal stone downpipes that are distanced from the walls. The low wing to the right features a six-light casement and two gabled dormers.

All windows have chamfered members, and lofty, angular, shouldered tops to the mullions. The interior, inaccessible at the time of survey in April 1986, is believed to be largely original, featuring boldly modelled stone fireplaces, stone skirtings, and a main stone staircase surrounding an enclosed service stair in its own shaft. The design is described as somewhat dour but remarkable, reflecting the architectural principles of Viollet-le-Duc; Bucknall was a local architect who also designed the unfinished mansion at Woodchester Park.