Dyrham House, Dyrham and Hinton, South Gloucestershire

Description

ST 77 NW DYRHAM AND HINTON C.P. DYRHAM PARK

5/151 Dyrham House
17.9.52
G.V. I

Country house. Originally Tudor, rebuilt for William Blathwayt late C17/early
C18; west front by Samuel Hauduroy, completed by 1694, east front by William
Talman, completed by 1703, refenestrated c.1800; alterations and additions mid
C19 to south elevation. Limestone ashlar, coursed rubble at north and south
elevations, slate and lead roofs. West front of central block with projecting
wings, central block (from south to north) of C19 kitchen, the great hall and
dining room (originally parlour and arched closet), enlarged C19, east front
extending to north and south beyond central block.
West front of 2 storeys, 3:9:3 windows, 3 bays to each side set forward, all
windows sashes in moulded architraves with cills, central round-headed door has
double pilaster to each side with large capital as impost for head of door and
supporting bracket beneath first floor balcony (originally balcony extended across
central window only, widened to 3 in same style 1845-60, 2 pilasters added to each
side of door and 2 brackets), balustrade with 4 dies each with raised panel; door
has Gothic intersecting glazing bars in upper section, heavy foliate keystone and
Grinling Gibbons style carving in spandrels. Central first floor window has
floating cornice and Horatian inscription "his utere mecum". Moulded plinth,
moulded string course at first floor, heavy cornice, long and short quoins with V-
joints, balustrade with dies, fluted urns with ball finials (early C19) 2 to each
side and 2 in centre; central wider plinth with raised panel and scrolled carving
to sides, small outer pilasters, surmounted by lead figure of Mercury. Each wing
has 3 bays, 3 round headed sashes with splayed glazing bars in flat architraves,
cill string course continued from main block, three 6-pane sashes at basement
level; between windows, plain pilasters with capitals in string course, continued
above string; 3 blind oval recesses with flat architraves, plain cornice and
parapet divided into 3 sections by pilasters, 2 rectangular raised panels in each
section. Pavilion below terrace level at end of each wing; pavilion to right of
2 storeys and 2 windows, all sashes as on main elevation, ground floor north has
round-headed opening with 6-panelled door, long and short rusticated voussoirs,
moulded plinth, long and short rusticated v-jointed quoins, string course from
main elevation continued as cornice for pavilions, parapet with oval recesses as
on wings and balustrade as on main elevation. Pavilion to left half the width of
other pavilion, same inner elevation, to west only one window wide, blind at first
floor, ground floor formerly with circular window, now also blocked. East front
of 2 storeys and attic, 3:7:3 windows including 2 shallow projecting wings, all
windows 15-pane sashes in moulded architraves, attic windows 6-pane sashes.
Ground floor has banded rustication of the French type, central doorway with Doric
columns, double panelled doors, upper panel with carved festoon, all ground floor
windows have acanthus carved brackets to cills and lintels, central window of
outer 3 bays has scrolled brackets to lintel and raised panel on aprons, band
course above. First floor central 20-pane sash has balustrade, Ionic semi-
pilaster to each side, scrolled brackets supporting pediment with draped urn above
to each side; of 3 bays to each side, central windows have segmental pediments,
rest with floating cornice, outer windows have balustrades (mason mistook the
architect's intention and placed 2 balustrades under the wrong windows); of 3
outer bays, central window has pediment on brackets and balustrade, others have
floating cornice. Attic storey has central 8-pane sash and central window of
outer bays in eared and shouldered architraves, in centre 7 bays, festoons
alternate with the segmental pediments below, in the outer 3 bays, panels below
outer windows carved with strapwork. Quoins of even length, richly carved cornice,
parapet and balustrade with draped fluted urns, central pedestal with raised panel
and inscription "virtute et veritate", segmental pediment surmounted by large
eagle, the Blathwayt crest, carved by John Harvey of Bath. To right, screen wall
rising to first floor height to balance the effect of the Orangery (q.v.),
2 round-headed arches with rusticated voussoirs and heavy vermiculated keystones,
divided by paired pilasters with paired pilasters to left; to right, pavilion
broken forward with paired engaged Doric columns, pulvinated frieze, cornice,
parapet with paired pilasters over ground floor pilasters and columns, balustrade
with similar urns. South elevation shows division between Hauduroy to west and
Talman to east; between the 2, at basement level, a single storey C19 kitchen
block with three 16-pane sashes, cornice, parapet and balustrade; set back the
great hall with 3 large 28-pane sashes (reduced in size when kitchen added),
cornice, parapet and balustrade, hipped roof; inner walls in coursed rubble,
varied windows to east and west. To west, long and short v-jointed rusticated
quoins between house and stable block, balustrade and urn as at west elevation;
to east, flush quoins, rusticated only at top storey, cornice returned and quoins
remaining, former plan infilled in C19. South elevation above orangery (q.v.)
has two 6-pane sashes in moulded architraves with raised panel below each,
cornice and balustrade above with urn to right and left as at east elevation.
North elevation has single storey block behind screen wall with one 9-pane sash,
behind, elevation of 3 storeys and 2 windows, cornice, balustrade and urn to each
corner, straight rusticated quoins to right and left. Central block in rubble of
2 storeys and 7 windows, set back, all 15-pane sashes, 3rd from left ground floor
has doors inserted below sash, first floor 3 bays to right with sash and 2 blind
windows. North elevation of north west wing has 2 flat-headed windows with hood
moulds, both blocked, possibly surviving from earlier building. Interior: The
walnut stair, to the west, designed by Hauduroy, woodwork carried out by Robert
Barker of London, cantilever construction in enclosed square rising to first
floor, walnut imported from Virginia, panelling grained to match, only treads and
risers remain unpainted. The cedar staircase, to east, designed by William
Talman and completed after 1702, rises to full height of the building, cantilever
construction, risers, balusters and carved brackets of cedar from America, treads
of Virginian walnut. East hall (formerly called the vestibule) has original
stamped leather hangings, gilded, painted and embossed with cherubs, flowers and
fruit, installed 1702, original chimney-piece of red and white Languedoc marble
now in the Balcony Room, replaced by C19 Italian chimney-piece. The Balcony Room
was central room of 1692-4 additions, panelling of architectural character with
Ionic pilasters raised on tall plinths, superimposed pilasters to either side of
the fireplace, foliage around centre window, joinery c. 1693 by Robert Barker,
brass locks and hinges on doors pierced and engraved with scrolling, tulips,
daffodils, roses and strawberries, probably made by John Wilkes of Birmingham.
Dyrham House and Dyrham Park are the property of The National Trust.
(Sources: Verey, D. : Buildings of England Gloucestershire : The Cotswolds.
1970. Kenworthy-Browne, J. : Dyrham Park. 1983. Country Life 14, 434-441,
XL 546-552, CXXXI 335-339 and CXXXI 396-399).

Listing NGR: ST7418175774

External Links

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Dyrham House

A Grade I Listed Building in Dyrham and Hinton, South Gloucestershire

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