Description

SS 92 NE MOREBATH

2/119 Morebath Manor
-

II

Country house. 1892-4, built for Charles Digby Harrod, the owner of the
Knightsbridge store, following his retirement in 1891. Architect unknown to date.
Cavity wall construction of yellow brick and Bathstone dressings and quoins; slate
roofs; brick chimneys with tall red brick shafts with ornamental brick mouldings and
cornices. The rear elevation is rendered. Eclectic mixture of free Jacobean and
Classical style with some Art Noveau detail.
Plan: Approximately rectangular but irregular at the rear with a rear stair wing,
single storey billiard room and servants' hall. Off-centre entrance into the main
block into a small heated entrance hall; axial passage to rear of entrance hall; open
well stair opposed to entrance hall; L plan drawing room to left of entrance, dining
room and library to right. Service block slightly set back at right end is double
depth with a kitchen and scullery at the front, an axial passage and a range of
subsidiary service rooms to the rear of the passage. Billiard room in rear left wing
at right angles to main range.
Exterior: Modest slightly asymmetrical exterior of 6 plus 3 bays, the 3-bay service
block set back at the right end; platband with moulded cornice, stone quoins to the
outer and entrance bays. The outer bays of the 6-bay main block are gabled to the
front and broken forward; entrance in third bay from the left also broken forward
with a curly gable and ball finials. Large gabled glazed porch with good ornamental
ironwork to the front and iron trusses; half-glazed outer door with round-headed
fanlight flanked by round-headed windows. 2-light timber mullioned and transomed
window above porch, similar windows to adjacent bay to the right; other windows on
the front elevation are 2-pane plate glass sashes. The gabled left hand bay has 3
ball finials and a 2-storey canted bay which has a triple sash window above. Above
the sash, a stepped panel of Renaissance style carving and 2 slit windows in the
gable. The lower-roofed service block at the right end has 3-bays of sash windows.
The left return of the main block has a 2-storey canted bay, the stair wing at the
rear has a mullioned window with stepped lights. Apart from a glazed hood which
formerly projected from the porch, the exterior is absolutely complete including
rainwater heads and carved oak fascias in front of the sun blinds.
Interior: Remarkable for the completeness of its fittings including original light
switches and electric fittings, wallpaper and speaking tubes. Embossed wallpaper of
various designs, compressed paper decoration to the ceilings based on ornamental
plasterwork; egg and dart, dentil, and bead and reel plaster cornices; ornate
overdoors; original joinery and door and window furniture.
The entrance hall has a panelled outer door and 2-leaf inner door with delicate
wrought iron foliage in front of frosted glass. Free Jacobean style open well stair
behind a 3-bay timber arcade with an arcaded stair gallery. Stair window with
ornamental leading using diverse designs of patterned white glass; section of
original silk wall-hanging survives in stair hall which has its original stair
carpet. The L plan drawing room has Adam style decorated ceilings and 2 matching
chimneypieces; it has been divided into 2 on the line of paired fluted columns which
survive intact. Free Jacobean style chimneypieces to library and dining room.
Absolutely complete billiard room with original light fittings, table, chimneypiece
and ornamental coloured stained glass. The unmodernised kitchen includes a fitted
dresser; service stair with turned balusters. First floor rooms equally intact
including a ladies' drawing room; more modest chimneypieces, original joinery and
further surviving lighting fittings some with glass shades said to be by Lalique.
A rare example of a completely unaltered country house of the 1890s: the survival of
vulnerable interior detail is of especial note.

Listing NGR: SS9673325603

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26611225

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

• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)