Bushy House

Details

1. 5028 BUSHY PARK

Bushy House TQ 1570 19/12 2.9.52

II*

2. Present mansion built for Lord Halifax in reign of George II on site of earlier building. Home for 36 years of William IV both as Duke of Clarence and also after his accession. Various alterations and additions of his date. Now house of the Director of the National Physical Laboratory, with basement and ground floor used as laboratories. Stands in its own grounds of 7 acres. The original house consists of a square centre block with a lower square pavilion at each corner linked to the main front by a curved screen wall and passage. All in brown brick, red dressings. The early C19 alterations and additions are in stock brick and the whole house was re-sashed at this date. Centre block: 3-storeys and basement. Seven windows on all fronts, bands between storeys and small cornice below top floor. Parapet with stone capping. Old greenish slate roof. Pavilions: One-storey, 3 round-headed windows (many blank) with stone archivolts and key blocks, eaves cornice. Slate roof with lead hips with little urn finials. East (Main Entrance) Front: 3-window centre slightly recessed. Central stone porch with fluted and reeded Ionic columns with enriched caps, and swags carved in the round between the volutes, enriched entablature and cornice. Original wrought iron railings to steps. Round-headed window on either side of porch. Early C19 one-storey buildings built into the curve of screen walls and against pavilions, 4 windows to sides and semi-circular bays at ends. South (Garden) Front: Overlooking Bushy Park. Windows 1-5-1 with central round-headed window on first floor. Windows at either end of facade blocked (when extra chimneys inserted in early C19). Ground floor stuccoed and windows altered to French under lead-roofed iron verandah across front with central projecting porch at head of double flight of steps. Windows on top floor modern casements. Curved passages to pavilions with round-headed windows. The pavilions themselves have stone Tuscan porches filled in with brick work and with round-headed windows, on the sides facing each other. On the ends they are stuccoed with tall square-headed windows under lead hooded iron verandahs across the front. West Front (also on Garden): As east front (q.v.) with early C19 buildings in angles of screen walls and pavilions. Early C19 Tuscan porch with 3 columns grouped at the corners. North Front: Masked by early C19 stock brick additions - notably a wing built out in centre. These are 3-storey but much lower; 3 windows each side with plain modillion cornice and slate roof. Central stock of coupled arches. Wooden porte cochere. This part contained the later kitchen and service quarters. Facing across what was once the coach yard are some other early C19 buildings formerly the stables. Interior: Mainly of early C19 and later and very plain. Little of the original decoration remains beyond 2 staircases and some panelling and carved doors and shutters, and the fireplace and woodwork of the hall. Many of the rooms are now lined with dis- tempered paper over canvas apparently covering the earlier panelling. There is one small octagonal room, "The Little Library", lined with early C19 grained yellow and black bookcases with "Gothic" wire grilles.

Listing NGR: TQ1557770357

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

205231

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Other
Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, Part 17 Greater London

End of official list entry

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