Details
WOKEFIELD WOKEFIELD
SU 66 NE
4/1 Wokefield Park
(St. Benedict's School)
14.4.67
- II*
House, now comunity home. Early C18 with early C19 additions, probably
Circa 1900 refacing, circa 1900 internal alterations, and mid C20 additions
to east and west. Rendered with hipped slate roofs. Central 3 storey, 7
bay block and 2 bay wings with 2 storey, 2 bay linking blocks. Plinth,
rusticated quoins, plat band, frieze and cornice above first floor,
balustraded parapet, with urns over recessed bays, and 8 stacks. 19
bays with second, third, seventh, eighth, twelfth, thirteenth, seventeenth
and eighteenth projecting. Glazing bar sashes with moulded architraves.
C20 casements on ground floor in first bay from right and in central second
floor bay. First floor blank windows in sixth bay from left. Paired central
3-fielded panelled doors with pain architrave, keystone, and bracketed
cornice. 5 bay Doric porte cochere with fluted columns, triglyph frieze
and cornice. C20 additions set back to left and right. Garden front:
similar; glazing bar sashes, some with serrated blind boxes. Ground floor
left-hand bay blank. Projecting enclosed porch in central bay with Doric
pilasters supporting entablature and triangular pediment, two 3-panelled
doors with top panels glazed, rectangular overlight with semicircular overlight
above, and architrave with imposts and keystone. Left-hand block: rendered with
hipped slate roof. 2 storeys with partly rusticated plinth, raised quoins plat
band cornice and remains of balustraded parapet. 4 bays, glazing bar sashes
with fluted architraves. 3 bay side elevations. Interior: largely circa 1900
in a free early C18 style. Entrance hall: black and white flagged floor,
panelling, panelled plaster ceiling, corridor arch to west and 2 staircase
hall arches to east, with Ionic pilasters; central door to south with
architrave, pulvinated frieze and broken triangular pediment; fireplace with
2 Corinthian columns supporting entablature; draught lobby with 2 half
glazed doors,Corinthian pilasters, cornice and lugged panelled sides.
Staircase Hall: 3 bay Ionic screen with fluted columns and egg and dart
cornice; 3-flight square well staircase with twisted balusters, central
carved balustrade panelling on each flight, and wainscot panelling. North-
west ground floor room: panelled; fireplace with copper hood and glazed tiles.
Central southern ground floor room: panelled plaster ceiling; doorcases with
segmental pediments; Jacobean-style chimneypiece with arcaded panelling,
Corinthian columns, and fireplace with copper hood and ceramic tiles. South-
east ground floor room: wall plasterwork with plaques and delicate plaster
ceiling; doors with lugged architraves, doorcase to west with large segmental
pediment. First floor: central corridor with wall plaques and oval light-
wells to second floor at each end, now blocked. Very complete Circa 1900
interior. The house was owned by the Palmer family at the end of the C19
and the beginning of the C20. Landscaped grounds with lake to south.
V.C.H. (Berks), Vol.3, p.422, B.0.E. (Berks), p.230.
Listing NGR: SU6733165687
