Ashton Court Mansion and Stables

Details

ST 57 SE LONG ASHTON ASHTON PARK

5/89 Ashton Court Mansion and Stables 13.10.52 G.V. I

Country house, now used for public purposes. C15; altered and extended c.1635 (the south-west wing); late C18 and early C19 remodelling and alteration of c.1885. Rendered with freestone dressings; slate roofs with coped verges; coped parapets with moulded eaves cornice. 2 storeys and attics. The South- West Facing Elevation consists of projecting wings to the north and south and a recessed centre. In the centre is the core of the mediaeval building: three 4- and 2-light windows with cusped ogee heads, under square hood moulds on the ground floor and with 4-centred heads above (all early C19, restored); attics in 2 steep gables with finials; central porch tower of ashlar with an embattled parapet; a later single-storey porch projects, with panelled gothick pilasters, and an embattled parapet with pinnacles, pointed arch doorway with carved spandrels. To the left is an advanced 2 storey, 2 bay section (it obscures another bay of the core, one gable of which can be seen): one 4-light Perpendicular style window and other 3-light cross windows with moulded mullions and surrounds. The north (library or billiard-room) wing was remodelled c.1805: 3 bays; ashlar on the ground floor with 4-light windows as the centre; rendered on the second floor with 2-light windows, string courses between each floor; two gables with blocked bullseye windows and surmounted by paired circular chimneys with moulded cornice and caps; at the left end is a polygonal ashlar turret with an embattled parapet; on the gable end is a 2 storey canted bay which is Gothick glazing bar sash windows with ogee heads and in moulded and panelled ogee-headed architraves; the north side of the wing has 3 Gothick glazing bar sash windows under ogee heads. The south range matches the north wing but is 4 bays and without the bay window on the gable end: South-East Facing Elevation. Central 3 stage and attic gatehouse: late mediaeval but extensively remodelled, especially in the C19; ashlar; flanking polygonal stair turrets with plain parapets and single and 2-light windows with trefoil heads; panelled doorcase with arcaded frieze and panelled and traceried door; 4-light window on second stage, 3-lights on third under an arched string course; stepped gable and central clock. To the left is the rendered classical wing of c.1635: 5:3:2:3 bays of large pane sash windows under alternating triangular and segmental pediments on the ground floors and cornices on brackets on the first floor; 2:5:2 bullseye windows to the attic storey and a fretwork frieze with ball finials on the pedestals; the basement has 3 paired shell-headed niches and 2 oval panels. To the right is the 7 bay, ashlar, music room wing: 4-light cross windows on ground floor, 3- and 5-light windows on first floor, all with cinquefoil heads and under square hoodmoulds; buttresses between the bays; embattled parapet with pinnacles. The Stables Wing faces north-east: ashlar; 2 storeys; 3:3:3 bays with an embattled central parapet and plain side parapets; polygonal turrets flank the centre, lancet and cross-loop.windows; central 4-centre headed doorway and blocked 4-centre headed coach-entries to each side (now with inserted 3-light cusped windows); the outer bays have a similar doorway with flanking 3-light cusped windows, circular pitching eyes to centre of first floor. Interior. Inner Porch has a Vaulted ceiling, Great Hall: blocked 4-centre headed doorway to north-east in a moulded surround; 2 large 4-centre headed, moulded archways to south-east and west, the latter leads to the dog-leg staircase which has a closed string, twisted Ionic balusters and a cornice and handrail with classical moulding; elaborate gothic fireplace with panelled piers and embattled top, moulded surround, gabled overmantel with a decorative tympanum, gothic style iron grate. Refectory or kitchen: 3 bay arch-braced collar beam roof with 3 tiers of windbracing (restored). Library or-billiard rooms in a Gothick style; arcaded walls with ogee heads, finials and pendants; elaborate cornice and ceiling with a panelled centre surrounded by 8 drawn-out ogee panels; Corinthian columned marble fireplace; china cupboards with gothick glazing. Inner Hall: bolection moulded fire surround with a reset datestone of 1691. Drawing Room (Long Gallery): large bolection moulded fire-surround with Ionic columns (remains of C17 frieze survive in another room); on the first floor is an elaborate marble fireplace with Corinthian pilasters, a plain frieze, and a central open pediment with carved embellishments of fruit and flanked by half swan-necked pediments. Large and small Panelled Rooms: raised and fielded panels with raised borders; bolection moulded fireplaces under pulvinated friezes; panelled doors in shouldered architraves. Vaulted Hall: fan vaulted roof with a cylindrical central pier. Music Room: coffered ceiling; linenfold panelled walls; two ashlar fireplaces with moulded 4-centred arches and large hoods supported on twisted and panelled piers; central segmental headed niche. Stables: the southern part has elaborate cast iron gothic style loose boxes with panelled sides. (N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England : North Somerset and Bristol, 1958).

Listing NGR: ST5570971837

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

33487

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: North Somerset and Bristol, (1958)

Other
Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic interest in England, Part 1 Avon,

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