Description

TISBURY WARDOUR PARK
ST 92 NW (north side)

4/271 Wardour Castle
25.10.51
GV I

Country house, now Cranborne Chase School. 1770-76 by James Paine
for Eighth Lord Arundell. Limestone ashlar, hipped Welsh slate
roofs, ashlar stacks. Square main block with flanking pavilions.
North front has rusticated basement below piano nobile with
mezzanine and attic floor over, 9 bays, centre three break forward.
Central double half-glazed doors with four 6-pane sashes either
side to chamfered rusticated basement, stepped bands to piano
nobile with central Palladian window of Ionic order with
balustraded apron, four 12-pane sashes either side with pediments
or dentilled cornices. Mezzanine floor has small 6-pane sashes,
attic has 6-pane sashes in moulded architraves, dentilled and
modillioned cornice and pediment. Concave front link to pavilions;
5 round-arched openings to double doors and sashes with niches to
sides of basement, first floor has large sashes, cornice to
blocking course with ball finials. Front of pavilions have 6-pane
sashes to basements, Venetian window and flanking sashes to piano
nobile, pediment and blocking course concealing attic with 3-pane
and 6-pane sashes and Chapel (q.v.) east end with three leaded
lunettes. East pavilion has canted east end with sashes and semi-
circular panels over, attached C20 ranges of school facilities.
For west pavilion see Chapel. South front has rusticated basement
with eight 6-pane sashes and central double doors, piano nobile
with giant Composite Order flanking round-arched central window
with flanking niches, three large pedimented sashes either side,
fluted frieze with paterae to upper floor with 6-pane sashes,
cornice and pediment as north front. Left return has 5-bay
basement, five large sashes to piano nobile, and 6-pane sashes to
mezzanine and attic. Right return has basement below main floor
with central Palladian window and one sash to right and two to
left, 6-pane or 9-pane sashes to mezzanine and to attic.
Interior: Main feature is central rotunda of main block with fine
flying stairs in two curves, wrought iron balustrade to stairs and
to gallery with Composite columns to coffered dome and glazed
lantern, semi-circular niches in gallery walls also coffered
(illustrated in Pevsner). Piano nobile occupied by state rooms and
apartment in south-west corner, including the 'Boudoir', remodelled
by Soane c1790; all retaining original pairs of double 8-panelled
doors, some pedimented, window shutters, plaster ceiling friezes
and marble fireplaces. Particularly good plaster ceilings include
a saucer dome in Reading Room and gilded ceiling in Boudoir.
Former kitchen in east pavilion has blocked open fireplace, now
school gym. One of the finest Palladian houses in Wiltshire.
(N. Pevsner, The Buildings of Engand, Wiltshire, 1975; Country
Life, 22 and 29 November 1930)

Listing NGR: ST9277826927

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• New Wardour Castle at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q15262106

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.

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