Description

EAST KNOYLE MILTON
ST 83 SE
(south side)
8/43 Clouds House
6.1.66
GV II*
Country house, now nursing home. 1881-91 for Percy Wyndham by
Philip Webb, altered 19-30s. Dressed limestone and ashlar, tiled
hipped roof with brick and ashlar stacks. Large house built around
central 2-storey hall, north entrance range demolished late 1930s
and entrance now on west side, extensive services to east (q.v.)
linked by long corridors. Eclectic style.Two-storey and attic, 10-
window asymmetric entrance front. Nine-panelled door in Gibbs
surround with sidelights in pilastered bay, to left of centre, 2
large 18-pane sashes in semi-circular headed panels to left, group
of three to right, half-octagonal base of demolished bay and 18-
pane sash at top of stone steps to right. First floor has double
dentil plat band to left and centre, 12-pane sashes in recessed
panels flanking chamfered mullioned casements in polychrome
recessed arched panels lighting stairs, Lombardi frieze to right
hand bay with mullioned casements. Attic storey altered 1930s,
former gabled 3-storey bays removed and replaced by five tile-hung
dormers behind parapet. Right return garden front has basement
floor with mullioned casements, French windows to right with
central projecting 2-bay round-arched loggia, principal floor has
six 18-pane sashes either side of central pedimented doorway
opening onto balcony over loggia, cast iron balustrade attached to
octagonal pilasters. First floor has six 12-pane sashes with
arched panels over Lombard frieze. Three 1930s dormers to attic.
Rear has truncated half-octagonal bay to left, 18-pane sashes to
principal floor, two to projecting bays, only one retains Webb's
attic floor, first floor with sashes in deeply moulded recesses,
1930s parapet and dormers. Left return, truncated entrance front
has small sashes and single-storey 1980s extension.
Interior retains central hall in altered form; reduced in size to
provide corridors and large fireplace removed, carved roof trusses
remain to glazed roof. Open-well stairs from hall with panelled
dado, fretwork balustrade, landing with richly carved screen, stair
window with rere-arches on octagonal pilasters. Drawing room on
south side little altered with rich plaster frieze, geometric
plaster ceiling, classical fireplace, fitted cupboards with
geometric glazing bars. Former billiard room has panelled
fireplace overmantel. South east drawing room has panelled ceiling
and plaster frieze. Joinery including window shutters and 9-
panelled doors survive. First floor rooms retain fireplaces,
including some with Delft tiles, panelled closets and cupboards,
plaster lozenges to gallery dado. Basements with barrel vaulted
ceilings, glazed brick walls. Despite 1930s alterations this
remains an important house by Webb; during the Wyndhams occupancy
it was associated with the intellectual group known as The Souls
and was visited by political and artistic figures such as Balfour
and Burne-Jones. The house costing £80,000 was finished 1886, the
1889-91 rebuilding following a fire in 1889 cost a further £35,000.
(M. Girouard, The Victorian Country House, 1971; J. Franklin, The
Gentleman's Country House and its Plan 1835-1914, 1981)

Listing NGR: ST8763630996

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Clouds House at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5135768

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)