Cornwell Manor

Details

CORNWELL SP2627-2727 13/79 Cornwell Manor 27.8.54 GV II*

Manor house. Circa 1750 incorporating core of C16/C17 house; later additions and alterations including ballroom of c.1939 by Clough Williams Ellis for Mrs. Anthony Gillson. Regularly coursed and dressed limestone rubble with ashlar dressings; hipped stone slate roof with coped parapet. Double-depth plan with projection at right-angles to rear on east. 2 storeys and attic with chamfered plinth, floor band, dipping first-floor cill band and plain eaves cornice. South front: 2:3:2 bays, centre section forming slightly projecting pedimented break with keyed oeil de boeuf to pediment and lead downpipes in angles. Glazing bar sashes in plain moulded surrounds. Central entrance; 6-panel door with decorative semi-circular fanlight in pedimented Doric doorcase with triglyph frieze. Pedimented dormers in bottom of roof slope to left and right. East front. Prominent full-height ashlar-faced canted bay with pyramidal roof to centre has floor bands, dipping first-floor cill band and 3 glazing bar sashes to each floor, ground-floor centre cut down to form French casement. 2 glazing bar sashes in plain moulded surrounds on each floor to each side, inner narrow and 8-paned (thick glazing bars), outer right on first floor 15-paned and with segmental arches over outer windows on ground floor, lead downpipes in angles with canted bay. 5 dormers in bottom of roof slope, 2 to left and 3 to right of canted bay, outer large arid all pedimented except hip-roofed dormer immediately to right of canted bay. Ridge stack to left with dripstones and moulded capping to paired and rebated shafts and similar integral stack to right gable end, which has coped verges. West front of main range has full-height semi-circular staircase projection with conical roof and Oxfordshire Fire Insurance plate (no.40963) affixed. North side. Looks Cl7 or earlier. Thick glazing bar sashes on each floor, those to first floor in moulded surrounds with labels from earlier mullioned and transomed windows. Venetian window lighting staircase to left with straight joint and various infilled openings to right. Rear of projecting east side has similar windows on first floor to those on first floor of north side. 2-light ogee-moulded mullion window to left on ground floor. Early Cl7 service range forming L-shape around courtyard to north of main range. One storey and attic. North range (courtyard side) has filleted ogee-moulded and chamfered mullion windows and one small lancet to right, all with leaded lights. 3 prominent gabled half-dormers with leaded cross casements. Ridge stacks and end stack to right, all with shafts rebuilt. West range (west side) has prominent gabled projection to centre, having 3-light mullion window with dripstone to first floor and later lean-to below. 4-light ogee-moulded mullion window with dripstone to left on ground floor with pedimented eaves dormer directly above. 2 pedimented half-dormers to right of gable, left with cross casement. 6-panel door (upper panels now glazed) with casement adjoining to left and leaded casement to right. Ridge stacks to left and right of gable and end stack to left, all with shafts rebuilt. Small C20 outbuilding (probably by Clough Williams Ellis) to rear on right links service range with main range. North range of service block is linked to ballroom by flat-roofed connecting range with balustraded parapet. Roughcast and buttressed in 4 bays with full-height 40-paned glazing bar sashes to inner bays and glazed neo-Georgian door to right. Rendered full-height canted bay with tall glazing bar sashes to south, gable end but bridge formerly linking it to service range now removed. Stepped external end stack to north gable end. Interior. Entrance hall remodelled 1939. Rusticated doorways to left and right in back wall flanking C18 stone fireplace with Penyston family coat-of-arms. Triple rusticated arches to side wails, all blind except for centre on right which has panelled door indice to drawing room. Stone-flag floor and plain moulded stone cornice. Room behind entrance hall to left has rectangular panelling of c.1640 (restored C20) painted to imitate walnut, said to have been moved from elsewhere in house. Staircase hall with stone-flag floor has C18 open-well staircase with carved open string and slender turned balusters with decorated bottoms, 2 to each tread. Wreathed and ramped handrail with circular newels and plain ramped dado. Square space above (probably formerly with lantern) has C20 plaster cornice with egg and dart moulding. Front right ground-floor room (drawing-room) has plain moulded bevelled panelling and Adam-style fireplace with Greek-key ornament to back wall. In the front wall 2 mirrors with Rococo plasterwork frames and similar overthrows to windows. Rear right ground-floor room (former library) formerly also had panelling of c.1640 carved with geometric patterns and painted with urns of flowers but this now removed. Principal first-floor rooms have plaster cornices and elaborate C19 fireplace surrounds. Panelled doors throughout. Wood spiral staircase in semi-circular projection rises to attic, which has moulded stone fireplace with 4-centred arch. Cellar has square columns with plain imposts (probably Cl7) supporting barrel vault. North range of service block has encased cross beams and chamfered spine beams to ground floor. Principal rafters of room structure visible to attic, which has staircase with carved splat balusters at west range. Ballroom has enriched coved plaster ceiling and cornice with leaf decoration. Rusticated surrounds to doors including 2 to south end beneath projecting semi-circular balcony with decorative turned balusters. Plaster garlands below roundels to side walls and wood fireplace surround to north end has carved male heads to either side. Terrace and steps by Clough Williams Ellis to south of main front are not included in this list. (Buildings of England; Oxfordshire: pp556-7; Country Life: May 17, 24, 31 (1941); House and Garden: February 84, March 86) [2523]

Listing NGR: SP2718227170

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

253972

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Sherwood, J, The Buildings of England: Oxfordshire, (1974), 556 7
Country Life in 17 May, (1941)
Country Life in 24 May, (1941)
Country Life in 31 May, (1941)
House and Garden in February, (1984)
House and Garden in March, (1986)

Other
Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, Part 34 Oxfordshire

End of official list entry

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