Farley Hall

Details

SWALLOWFIELD FARLEY HILL ROAD SU 76 SE (north side) 12/30 Farley Hall (formerly listed 1.8.52 as Farley Hill Place) G.V. I Large country house on high ground, in parkland with fine views to the west across a lake. The landscape has been ascribed to the landscape gardener Charles Bridgeman. c1730 for John Walter; extended C19. Brick with hipped old tile roofs of differing heights. Rectangular plan; the centre and oldest part is 7 bays, connected on each side by 2 bay links to lower 4-bay pavilions. 2 storeys and cellars. Plinth, moulded string at first floor level, string above first floor windows, and panelled parapet with stone urns in corners. Sash windows with glazing bars and segmental heads. The cupola is circular on plan with 4 arched windows divided by coupled Doric columns, entablature with triglyph frieze, ogee lead dome, ball finial and wrought iron weather vane. East front main block:- 3 projecting centre bays, sashes 4 panes high on first floor, 6 on ground floor; bull's eye windows, some blocked, to cellars. In centre of projection is a tall half-glazed entrance door in architrave surround and doorcase of composite columns on small plinths supporting entablature with enriched bolection frieze. The door is approached by 2 moulded stone steps with cast lead vases on outer corners. 2 bays similar on either side, and flanking these are 2 linking bays to lower 4 bay outer projecting pavilions at either end with moulded first floor string, moulded painted wooden eaves cornice and hipped roof. Each has 4 bays of narrow windows on east front and 3 bays facing inwards. The right hand wing has C19 brick quadrant connection in angle. West front:- central projection of 3 bays, central doorcase on ground floor, nearly similar to that on east front but with Roman Ionic columns, entablature with plain frieze and bracketed cornice, standing on a wide flight of stone steps with stone balustrade curving outwards at the base, leading on to a grassed terrace. The projection is flanked by 2 bays and a further 2 bays linking to the pavilion wings as on the east front. To the right is a further 6 bays C19 extension. Interior:- on the ground floor the entrance hall which is the main feature of the house is nearly square and reaches the whole height of the house. The bedrooms are reached by a gallery along 3 sides and above the cupola is open with a wind indicator underneath. The enriched plastered ceiling round the cupola is painted with mythological scenes by Lanscroon (Pevsner) and Nicholas Lancret (V.C.H.) On the back wall at first floor level are five painted rural scenes put in much later by J.F. Nollekens. Other features of interest in the hall area fireplace in architrave surround with side scrolls, entablature with carved frieze of floral ornament, flanked by 8-panelled doors in surrounds of architrave, carved frieze, cornice and pediment. Opposite the doors are 2 niches with architraves swept out to scroll form. Other principal rooms on the ground floor have fireplaces contemporary with the house. On the first floor on the south side of the centre part is a Print Room with a collection of C18 prints in painted frames on all 4 walls. V.C.H. Vol.III p.268. B.0.E. (Berkshire) p.142.

Listing NGR: SU7501464627

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

41601

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Berkshire, (1966), 142
Ditchfield, P H, Page, W, The Victoria History of the County of Berkshire, (1923), 268

Other
Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, Part 3 Berkshire,

End of official list entry

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