Wotton House

Details

TQ 14 NW,
4/119

WOTTON C.P.,
GUILDFORD ROAD,
Wotton House

GV

II*

Country house, now training and conference centre. Early C17 for the Evelyn
Family, extended in the later C17 and to the east in the C18 by William Kent.
Further extended and altered in early C19 by Francis Edwards and, following a
fire, restored and enlarged by Henry Woodyer for John Evelyn in 1877. Timber
framed core now entirely clad, brick with terracotta decorations in the entrance
front to the north, cement render on rear extensions with some tile hanging in
gables. The majority of the roofs now plain tiled with some hipped and slate
roofs to rear right. Original house was of compact multi-gabled plan with a U-
shaped entrance court to the north, this remains the central core with early
C19 wing to left on north side and Woodyer extensions to right, projecting to
enclose new courtyard. C18 orangery and later C19 extensions lay parallel to
rear. Entrance front:- two storeys with attics in gable ends of wings. Stone
panels in parapet band to centre range, stone stringcourse over ground floor.
Wings have plat band over ground floor and cornice stringcourse over first
floor on west with finials to gable apexes. Octagonal turrets to return walls
of wings under ribbed, lead-domed wooden cupolas and stone dressed lancet
fenestration with two 4-light mullioned and transomed windows under octagonal
stacks to ridges of roof. Label mouldings either side of central porch on each
floor. Two similar windows to ground floor left of centre, two smaller windows
above over paired, stone-dressed quatrefoils. One 8-light, mullioned and
transomed window on each floor to right of centre. Courtside of west wing has
3 shaped gables, each with arrow slit decoration, over 3 mezzanine glazing bar
sashes and 3 sashes on first floor. The mezzanine sashes in raised brick
flanking scrolls, those to first floor, and two windows on ground floor, in
brick pattern surrounds imitating shutters. Central door in ribbed brick
Jacobethan style surround and under flat hood on baluster pilasters. Door
genuine early C17 with thick strapwork and decorative panels. Right hand (east)
wing court front:- Three mullioned and transomed first floor windows, hipped roof
dormers above. Two storey porch to centre with crowning winged Gryphons, and
flanking stone-capped angle buttresses. Foiled light, mullioned and transomed,
first floor window, decorative frieze below over first floor. Arched door
surround with stone dressed flanking lights. Left hand return front of west
wing with two C17 gables showing. C17 fenestration with 4-light attic windows
and 7-light windows on each floor below, the end two lights shorter. Rear - long
jumbled front with gable to left, flat roofed angle bay to left of centre, the
old house, with sash fenestration and front stacks flanking gable to centre, and
C18 orangery and C19 extensions set back to right. Orangery with decorative
parapet and banded piers (C19). Single storey service buildings beyond.

INTERIORS:- Dining Room - formerly the Orangery and once detached. William Kent,
extended to south by Woodyer. Simple panelled ceiling with central 'rose'
guilloche and egg and dart mouldings and modillioned Ionic eaves cornice.
Plasterwork (Kent) wall panels painted in C18 Chinese style by Jean Dieudonné Deneux (Belgian),
double panel to centre in scrolled surround. Oval bamboo frames with
ribbon garlands. Small paintings over doors. Pedimented and bracketed door-
cases with architrave surrounds to panelled doors. Deep niche to end with
flanking Doric pilasters and coffered half-dome over. Several fragments remain
from old house including Jacobean and Elizabethan panelled strapwork doors and
surrounds -(one off the "cloister" and further ones to offices).
Room 14. Colonnaded Ionic Screen Passage to one end with guilloche soffit
moulding and end pilasters flanking two central columns. Fluted frieze,
dentilled cornice and end paterae over. Curved end wall. Ante Room - in
Chambers style with curved end niches under diamond panel coffering and shells
over doors. Fine curved doors, original, in architrave surrounds with flat hood
over. Bay leaf garland and fluted frieze over. Evelyn Library - by Woodyer. 7
bays in high Victorian Gothic with round pier arcades and cross rib-vaulted roof,
deep foliage capitals to columns. Billeted panelling and painted texts on walls
over arches. Massive fireplaces of coloured marble. Flanking columns and
crested overmantle in French Baronial style. Steel doors in imitation of wood
panelling. The Evelyn Family Seat, John Evelyn born here in 1620 and eventually
came into his possession in 1699 on his brothels death. Traditionally the now
Deputy Principal's office is the room of Evelyn's Birth. The house is most famous
for its "Italian Garden" laid out by Evelyn and included in the "Register of
Parks and Gardens of Historic Interest in England, Part 40 Surrey" as II*.


Listing NGR: TQ1216146966

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

290082

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Nairn, I Rev. by Cherry, The Buildings of England: Surrey, (1971), 542-4

Other
Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, Part 40 Surrey,

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