Description

The description for the following building shall be amended:

BOASTED KEYNES CHELWOOD GATE
TQ 43 SQ
8/450 Birchgrove House
- II

Large house built in 1926 in Queen Anne style for Maurice and Helen
Macmillan, the parents of Harold Macmillan who became Prime Minister
and subsequently Lord Stockton. The house was the home of Harold
Macmillan and his family for some 60 years including the period
during which he was Prime Minister. Distinguished; visitors who
stayed at the house include General de Gaulle and, J.F. Kennedy.

The house is not of special architectural interest. It is included
in the list only because of it's special historical interest.

The list was previously amended in respect of this entry on 25 October
1988.

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The following building shall be added to the list:
HORSTED KEYNES CHELWOOD GATE
TQ 43 SW
8/450 Birch Grove House
II

Large house. Built in 1926 by John Cash for Maurice and Helen Macmillan, the
parents of Lord Stockton, in Queen Anne style. Built of brown brick with
orange brick dressings and ashlar quoins and cornice. Mansard slate roof
with 2 panelled brick chimneystacks. 2 storeys and attics 9 windows.
Principal front facing south east has 2 end bays on each side projecting
slightly. Tall French-type mansard roof with tripartite pedimented dormers over
the wings. Centre has 1 12 pane sash with pediment above and 2 tripartite
windows with curved pediments over. Wide moulded stone eaves cornice and end
quoins. Windows are 12 pane sashes with moulded architraves and orange brick
surrounds with keystones to ground floor windows and elaborate brick aprons
throughout. Central stone doorcase with curved pediment elaborate console
brackets rectangular fanlight with circular motif and double glazed door.
Entrance front to north west has 6 windows, 2 projecting 3 storey towers have
raised stone panels above coping flanked by console brackets. 1 window each,
attic storey windows flanked by blank round-headed niches and ground floor
windows have cambered heads. Between these towers are 3 windows, with 2
triangular and 1 curved pediment to attic storey and the towers are linked at
ground floor level by a stone loggia with 6 Tuscan columns. The interior has
elaborate early C18 style modillion cornices and a well staircase with
turned balusters and mahogany handrail but there are also genuine early
C18doorcases and chimney-pieces from Devonshire House in Piccadilly(demolished
in 1920s). The Dining Room hasa fine C18 marble fireplace with engaged Tuscan
columns, raised panel with urn and swags and cast iron fire grate. Included
as the house of Harold Macmillan a former Prime Minister.Distinguished
visitors who stayed here included Gen De Gaulle, Eisenhower, Khrushchev, Nehru
and J F Kennedy. -

Listing NGR: TQ4100430470

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Birch Grove at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q15978899

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

• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)