Oving House

Oving House is a mansion, originally dating from the 17th century, but largely remodelled and extended between 1741 and 1743 for Charles Pilsworth. Further alterations and re-styling of the interior occurred around 1954, and later 18th-century wings were added to the sides. The south front is of red brick with stone detailing, originally rendered, featuring a moulded stone plinth, stone band courses on the first floor, and stone copings to the parapet. The north front is of dressed stone, with some remaining render to the east. The roofs are mostly tiled, with slate covering the centre of the north pitch. Brick chimneys are present.

The original south front had five bays with a hipped roof, and re-sited stone statues are located on the parapet. The three central bays project slightly and have a pediment with moulded stone dressings and a round window. The bays have three-pane sash windows with moulded stone architraves, accentuated keyblocks. The outer bays feature Serlian windows on the ground floor, thermal windows above, and basement windows with segmental heads and keyblocks, all with plain stone surrounds. The central entrance has glazed doors with a large rectangular fanlight, set within a stone doorcase with Doric pilasters and an entablature. This leads to a central terrace accessed by six moulded stone steps with late 19th-century cast iron railings. The side wings each have four bays to the left and three to the right, with three-pane sash windows, the first-floor windows being smaller.

The north front also has five bays, but with a more irregular appearance; the outer bays are gabled and projecting, while the central bays and inner return walls have a parapet. There are three-pane sash windows throughout, with the left bay having two windows on each floor, featuring small stone cornices (partly restored). Round windows are in the attic gables. A six-panelled door is centrally located, positioned beneath a segmentally arched fanlight with intersecting glazing bars. The wooden doorcase has panelled reveals, an architrave surround, flanking Doric half-columns, and an entablature. A stone wall is attached to the left, connecting with the stables. A brick wall to the right connects with a small rubble stone block which forms a courtyard with a side wing. The centre of this wall features brick gate piers with carved stone finials added around 1954.

The interior features a fine mid-18th-century staircase with fluted column newel posts, a moulded handrail, carved scrolls to the string, and three elegant turned balusters to each tread. A significant mid-18th-century plaster ceiling with elaborate Rococo motifs is located in the central ground floor room on the south side, possibly executed by Thomas Roberts of Oxford. This room and another to the east retain 18th-century plaster cornices and doorcases. A room to the west has an 18th-century plaster overmantel with a painted panel and a swan-neck pediment. A 18th-century plaster panel depicting the profile of Mrs Pilsworth has been altered and re-sited in the hall. Plain later 18th-century panelling is found in the north-east ground floor room. The north room on the first floor has good early 18th-century bolection panelling and a 17th-century carved panel overmantel. Another room has a similar overmantel and early 17th-century panelling with carved friezes, which has been subject to alteration. The south rooms were extensively embellished around 1954 in a mid-18th-century style by Felix Harbord, with drops copied from Harleyford Manor.