Description

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 26 October 2023 to amend the name, address and reformat the text to current standards

TQ 36 SE
6/2

GRAVEL HILL
Addington Palace

(Formerly listed as Addington Palace (Royal School of Church Music))

20.5.54

II*

Large house, School of Church Music at time of survey. Original house of 1772 by Robert Mylne for Alderman Barlow Trecothick comprised two storey central block and 1 storey wings linking to end pavilions.

In 1807 the estate was purchased as a palace by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Between 1828 and 1833 Henry Harrison added a chapel and library to the ground floor front and heightened the wings by one storey. In 1896 the estate was sold by Archbishop Temple to Frederick Alexander English, a South African diamond millionaire and the house restructured by R Norman Shaw who added a second floor to the main block, reconstructed the main staircase, built the Great Hall, added an impressive entrance hall in porch and converted the north pavilion to a Winter Garden. Palladian style. Portland stone with hipped slate roof and tall stone chimneystack. 12 pane sashes throughout except for ground floor which has 18-pane sashes.

Central block is of three storeys 1-3-3-3-1 sash windows with centre and ends slightly projecting. Balustraded parapet cornice cill bands and blocking course. Central two storey porch by R Norman Shaw has triple-window to first floor and ground floor has pedimented porch with Ionic columns and piers "in antis" and two leafed panelled door behind. Wings have c1830 projecting single storey wings of four windows with balustraded parapet to front and set back two storey wings of three windows. The wings terminate in north and south pavilions, of one storey with pedimented gable with balustrading and two sashes in round-headed arched recesses.

Garden front is of two storeys on tall rusticated basement with round-headed windows, the central three windows projecting under central pediment. Balustrade and late C19 tall leaded mansard roof. Set back side wings have five windows. Cornice and blocking course throughout. Outer attached pavilions are single storey with basement and have three tall round-headed windows, cornice and pediment. North Pavilion was converted into a Winter Garden in late C19 and chapel in mid C20 and has projecting canted bay to side. Attached to the house on both north and south sides is an early C19 brick wall about 20 feet in height. North side has cambered entrance. South side incorporates octagonal cement rendered summerhouse with slate roof round-headed windows and double door.

Interior exhibits features by Mylne, Harrison and R Norman Shaw. Adam Drawing Room is part of original Mylne structure but redecorated by Norman Shaw. Original fireplace has marble fireplace with attached columns and panel with goat sacrifice. Mouldings of musical instruments over doors are of hollow carved wood. Six panelled-doors and some false doors added to give the room symmetry. Adamesque ceiling with wedgwood type panels and octagonal roundels. Adjoining Chinese Drawing Room has marble fireplace with eared architraves, pilasters and basket grate. Adam style ceiling with paterae and four roundels with Cupids.

Morning Room has elaborate green and white marble fireplace with carved architraves. Leaf moulded cornice and deep fielded panels probably by R Norman Shaw. Impressive well staircase has mahogany handrail and cast iron panels of shields and balustrades with crown. The Great Hall by R Norman Shaw has an enormous Jacobean style marble fireplace with red marble and alabaster strapwork overmantel and green marble surround to fireplace which has black and white marble rusticated pilasters to lower tier and red marble engaged Ionic columns above. Deep fielded wooden panelling, balconette with elaborate cast iron surround and moulded ceilings. Drawing Room also by R Norman Shaw has stone baronial fireplace with green marble panels and bell-shape above with attached columns. Dado panelling with strapwork design and plaster ceiling with design of quatrefoils and square panels with blank shields. Former chapel, now Dining Hall, has curved ceiling with reel and bead ornament.

Winter Garden, now chapel has intersecting ceiling and round-headed windows of 1954. Memorial to Sydney Hugo Nicholson (1875-47), Founder of the Royal School of Church Music. First floor Empire Room decorated in Edwardian Louis XV1 style with two painted overmantels depicting nymphs and cupids, double doors with flaming torch and arrow decorations and marble fireplace with gilt inlay, pilasters and basket grate.

[see 'Addington Palace history and description' Frederick Storrocks. 'Addington Village and Historical Survey'. Frederick Storrocks]

Listing NGR: TQ3651063859

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Addington Palace at Wikipedia
• Addington Palace official website
• Wikidata Q4681183

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

• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6