Description

1.
4412 MAZE HILL SE3
(East Side)

Vanbrugh Castle
TQ 597T 27/G89 19.1O.51.

I

2.
(RAF Boys' School)
1717 with later additions. Built by Sir John Vanbrugh for his own residence.
Mainly of stock brick, later additions in plum coloured brick. The original
building of 3 storeys and basement with 3 4-storey towers, the central one round,
projecting from main west front. Arched corbel table below parapets of walls
and towers. Angle towers battlemented. Conical copper roof to middle tower.
Stout band at 2nd floor cills. Basement plinth. Gauged, round brick arches
and impost blocks to sash windows with glazing bars and Y-bars in heads. Impost
bands. from round tower windows. All upper tower windows square headed and blocked.
Front round tower windows blocked on ground and lst floor. Recessed, 1-bay sections
flanking it. Later square wood Doric porch, with wrought iron handrail to steps,
in right tower angle. On North front 2 bays of original building on right and
2-storey, 2-window left extension, with tall, battered central chimney stack.
Rear elevation has central round tower in projecting section. Flanking round
chimneys in rows. 1-bay side wings of 2 storeys and basement. Projecting bowed
late C18 right wing has Venetian window in 1-storey end. Later C18 3-storey,
3-bay East addition. Projecting centre bay has central window and narrow flanking
window on each floor, those on 1st and ground floor round headed, giving Venetian
effect. Impost bands across centre bay, with gauged brick arches of side windows
breaking tlem. Some original glazing, some restored. At South end projecting
chimney tower bifurcates to flank 2 round arches. Modern, 2-storey 6-window
south wing, built in similar style, projects westward, and another 4-window classroom
extension added to this.
Interior has few features of interest. 2 stone fireplaces in mediaeval style
remain, one with late C17 Dutch tiles. Passages are very narrow, with interrupted
segmental vaults. Plain stone newel staircase, some treads renewed.
All doors round arched. Partly barrel-vaulted brick cellar. LCC blue plaque
"Sir John Vanbrugh Architect and Dramatist designed this house and lived here
c.1719-26."

Listing NGR: TQ3930877620

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Vanbrugh Castle at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q15979590

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

• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)