Description

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 20/10/2015

SO 9436, 9536
12/71, 13/2

KEMERTON CP
Kemerton Court

(Formerly listed as Lower Court)

30-7-59

II*
House. C17, refronted c1720 with further alterations and additions of
c1830. Coursed dressed limestone rubble, faced with limestone ashlar at
front with hipped slate roofs behind parapets and large rendered brick
ridge stacks. Two storeys, cellar and attic with dormers, chamfered plinth,
band between main storeys and moulded eaves cornice to front. 2:2:1:2:2 bays;
the outer bays break forward and are articulated by giant pilasters which
interrupt the first floor band and the parapet. The parapet is swept up
where it adjoins the pilasters and the outer pilasters are surmounted by ball
finials and the inner pilasters by urn finials. The central bay also breaks
forward and interrupts the first floor band; the moulded eaves cornice is
shaped above it to form a segmental pediment and the parapet is swept upwards
where it adjoins the central bay and forms a gable above it. (The urn finial
which surmounted the parapet gable is now missing). The windows all have
moulded architraves with dropped keyblocks and moulded stone sills. They are
all the original 15-pane sashes with thick glazing bars except for bays 1, 2,
3, 4, 6 and 7 of the ground floor which were replaced c1830 with 12-pane
sashes. Above the outer eight bays behind the parapet, are five flat-roofed
dormer windows with 2-light casements. The central bay has a round-headed
first floor window, a panelled architrave and an ornately carved dropped key-
block and is flanked by panelled pilasters on two moulded corbels set beneath
the moulded sill. Above, set within the parapet, is a circular window with
radiating glazing bars. The central entrance has a pediment above an entabla-
ture, flanking fluted pilasters, a moulded architrave and a half-glazed door.
The present main entrance is at the rear of the building and was relocated
when the road was re-routed behind the house in the early C19. It has an early
C19 gabled ashlar porch which has a 4-centred chamfered archway with a hoodmould
and the doorway within has a moulded architrave and half-glazed double doors.
There are also two original C17 window openings with leaded cross-casements
which survive on the ground floor of the central C17 core of the rear elevation.
Interior: front central ground floor room has fine C18 panelling, modillion
cornice, fireplace flanked by giant fluted pilasters and some original doors
with eared architraves. Elsewhere much of C18 fittings survive including the
open-well staircase which has turned balusters, a moulded handrail and a pan-
elled dado with fluted pilasters. Some C17 panelling is said to survive in a
first floor closet. It is possible that the major C18 alterations were the
work of Thomas White of Worcester. (Lees-Milne, J: English Country Houses:
Baroque, 1970).

Listing NGR: SO9450036676

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Kemerton Court at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q6386936

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

• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)