Details
WIVENHOE COLCHESTER ROAD
1.
5214
Wivenhoe House
TM 02 SW 13/42 1.6.73
II*
2.
A red brick mansion house of 3 storeys. The original house was built in 1759
by Thomas Reynolds of London for Isaac Martin Rebow, possibly to the designs
of Mathew Brettingham, for the sum of £3,654 (the specification is in the Essex
Record Office). Richard Woods was commissioned to landscape the park in the
1770. In 1816 John Constable painted a view of the lake for the sum of 100
guineas. In 1846 John Gurdon Rebow commissioned Thomas Hopper to alter the house
and the work was done by a local builder, Henry Haywood. The building was entirely
re-cast in Victorian Tudor style and all that survives of importance from the
original house is some of the plaster decoration of the north-west and south-west
ground floor rooms and 2 chimney pieces. Most of the rainwater heads are dated
1848 and have the initials IGR. The north entrance front has 2 shaped gables,
one at each end, 2 and 3 light bar and transom windows in a range of 7, central
projecting porch rising the full length of the building with a crow stepped
gable and upper storey oriel window above an elaborate carved wood entrance
doorcase with carved crest, panelled pilasters, arched entrance, and double
panelled doors. The west front is in similar style, but a large 3 storey bay
at the north end with windows of 7 lights, the ground floor window having an
ironwork balcony, and a shaped gable to the south end. The south front has
3 storey end bays with shaped gables, bar and transom windows of 5 lights,
the centre also with a shaped gable and an upper storey oriel window. The chimney
stacks are all built in octagonal Elizabethan style in groups. To the east
of the main house is a 2 storey block shown as the east wing on the Hopper plans
which has C18 brick and double hung sash windows with glazing bars to the south
and west ground floor fronts but was otherwise recast by Hopper in the same
style as the main block, having shaped gables and octagonal chimney shafts,
but with two light casements with wood moulds to the upper storey. The interior
was also largely remodelled in 1847 and only the south west and north west
ground floor rooms known then as the drawing room and the boudoir, were kept
with their ornamental plasterwork to the walls and ceilings some of it dating
from the original C18 house, it has bird and flowers motifs, well-executed and
designed. There are marble chimney pieces in the drawing room brought from
Italy in 1847. In the south east ground floor room, formerly tile dining room,
is a fine rococo chimney piece with mirror-overmantel in Chippendale style.
The entrance hall is entirely by Hopper with enriched plaster ceiling, cornices
etc. and a carved chimney piece in Jacobean style. In the eastern part of
the house is a grand staircase and staircase hall. Known as Wivenhoe Park until
it became part of Essex University in 1962.-=
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
421503
Legacy System:
LBS
Sources
Other
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
End of official list entry
