Description

SU 9949NE GUILDFORD HIGH STREET
(North Side)

5/78 No. 155
1/5/53 (Guildford House)

GV I

Town house, now gallery. Circa 1660 for John Child, a lawyer, with C18 alterations
to rear and C20 alterations inside. Timber framed, clad to front in painted wood
and to rear in mathematical tiles and tile-hanging. Plain tiled hipped roof end
on to street. Three storeys, the top two floors jettied out,with stacks to rear
and left. Three bay front with giant Doric pilasters rising through the first and
second floors and deep modillioned eaves cornice, breaking forwards to ends and
centre over pilasters. Centre bay projects slightly with pilaster strip surround
to central leaded, mullioned and transomed window on the second floor, flanked by
further windows on each side. Three taller windows on the first floor, that to
centre with small C17 balcony in front with central scrolled panel and alternate
twisted railings. Old shop front on the ground floor with one square bay window
with glazing-bars either side of centre on panelled stall risers. Each elm stall
riser consists of two square panels with sunk panel between, the square panels
carved in floral spiral pattern. Double doors to centre in pilaster surround
under foliage caps, and with round-arched head under scrolled keystone and flanked
by carved spandrels. Richly carved flanking scrolls either side of door with
foliage and fruit decoration. Rear:- 3 storeys and attic in main gable with two
leaded attic casements. Two windows on the second floor and large leaded oriel
window to first floor with lead tent roof and three plasterwork decorative panels
under the windows.
Interior:- Central ground-floor room:- Massive exposed posts and spine beams in
ceilings, some pine panelling on walls. Staircase hall:- Panelled pilasters and
doorcase with pendant boss to centre arch. Staircase: very fine staircase, c.1680
with pierced oak and elm balustrade. Simply moulded oak handrail supported by
sturdy oak newel posts crowned with carved bowls filled with fruit and flowers
on the base of each newel post is carved a Tudor rose. Richly carved panel
balustrade of acanthus pattern with interlocking spirals of foliage. The stair-
case rises to the top floor of the house via a first-floor landing with twisted
balusters surmounted by arcading continued onto one wall, both arcades of 2 bays,
fielded panels on walls. The staircase continues up with the richest carved
panel at the very top. Garden Room:- plaster ceiling divided into five panels
by deep beams decorated on the face with flowers and guilloche band, the coved
sides decorated with acanthus patterning. Central oval panel with bay-leaf
garland edging. Oak, deal and pine panelling on walls and fielded panelling on
fireplace overmantle. Oriel windows overlooking the garden retain elaborate C17
wrought-iron fastners and espagnolette bolts, as do those windows in the Pine
Room, and the first floor landing. The Pine Room:- lined with pine panels rising
to the ceiling over a dado. Original mantlepiece to the fireplace with fruit and
flower carvings, unusual sliding shutters recessed into the panelling, and sliding
along the windowsills, flank the windows.
The Powell Room:- The finest room in the house, overlooking the street with the
proportions of a half-cube. Fine bolection panelling lines the walls with chair-
rail and rectangular dado panels. Finely decorated plaster ceiling contemporary
with house and repaired in one corner in the C20, is divided into nine panels.
Each panel is separated by deep beams covered with flowers, and leaves, the very
rich central round panels are contained in a wreath of fruit and flowers. Around
the centre panel are placed 4 further panels with bay leaf garland edged ovals
with winged Cherubs heads to corners and a further 4 corner panels contain sun-
flower motif and masks of female heads.
Photographs in the N.M.R.

PEVSNER: BUILDINGS OF ENGLAND, SURREY (1971) pp.283-4.
I. RHODES: GUILDFORD HOUSE GUIDE

Listing NGR: SU9982449517

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Guildford House at Wikipedia
• Guildford House official website
• Wikidata Q5615830

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

• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)