Woodlands Vale, Including Attached Rose Arches, Forecourt Balustrading, Terrace Walling, Alcove, Pergola, Steps, Planters and Ornamental Ponds

Details

632/8/159 CALTHORPE ROAD 18-MAY-72 WOODLANDS VALE, INCLUDING ATTACHED ROS E ARCHES, FORECOURT BALUSTRADING, TERR ACE WALLING, ALCOVE, PERGOLA, STEPS, P LANTERS AND ORNAMENTAL PONDS (Formerly listed as: CALTHORPE ROAD WOODLANDS VALE HOTEL)

GV II* Large house. Designed by Samuel Sanders Teulon (1812-1873) in French Renaissance style for Lord Calthorpe in 1870 to 1871 as a summer residence, enlarging and altering an existing house of 1840-50. Dated additions of 1880, 1894 and 1912. Original 1840s house of two storeys stone rubble and hipped slate roof with projecting eaves and sash windows. This was comprehensively altered by Teulon but survives best to south and west, the service end, where many sashes with glazing bars survive. The principal elevations, the north or entrance front and west garden front are by Teulon. Walls of stone rubble with slate roof and tall brick chimneystacks. Irregular fenestration. EXTERIOR: North entrance front is mainly of two storeys, but with three storey square entrance tower, freely handled in French Renaissance style with very steep hipped slate roof, cast iron cresting, crowned by elaborate wrought iron weathervane. Gargoyles at angles of bracketed cornice. Circular staircase turret with crenellation and trefoil windows adjoining in angle of main block. Projecting in front of the three storey entrance tower is a 1912 half-timbered porte cochere, with arcaded gallery of three bays to first floor, turned balusters, bowed out in the centre. The lower part of the square stone bay adjoining to the left is of c1870, but the top part and copper dome were added c1912 to form a liftshaft. Further to the left is a first floor curved wooden bay of two round-headed lights and two-light ground floor window, both with stained glass. End pedimented bay with strapwork has first floor terracotta panel with grotesque decoration and centre roundel with projecting female head. This was added after 1873. To the ground floor is a three light transomed window. Attached to the north east of the house are nine round-headed stone arches with polychrome brick voussoirs surmounted by terracotta urns, divided by buttresses and with pierced stone balustrading to the base. A further two sides of stone balustrading, incorporating two elaborate stone gatepiers with globular lights to the west, enclose the entrance forecourt. The east garden front has eight irregular windows. On the right hand side are two full-height canted bays with shaped gable type parapets with strapwork and finials, divided by a recessed section with two French windows to the first floor. Teulon's original ground floor bay to the Dining Room was extended in 1880 in sandstone and terracotta, with three French windows with cusped heads, side panels blind and garlanded pilasters, doubled at the corners. Outside the left side Drawing Room bay is a verandah with ornate cast iron pilasters and anthemion and palmette balustrade. This is not in Teulon's plans, but possibly derives from the earlier house. To the left is a narrow bay with cambered head and round-headed door below, dated 1870 over the lintel. Further left is an elliptical turret with conical roof and weathervane. The end bay originally had a stone oriel window to the first floor. Originally, this front terminated in a large Conservatory but this was replaced by a stone Billiard Room with a coved roof with top lights in 1894; the oriel to the end bay was altered to a casement and the upper floor clad in timberframing with plastered infill. Billiard Room wing of one storey added to south in 1894, replacing c1870 Conservatory, in sandstone with terracotta ornamentation. Two windows with pediment over central one. Composite Ionic pilasters, convex frieze with floral swags, cornice. Three sided bay at south end. Attached to the house at the southern end are terrace walls with pierced balustrading, crowned with terracotta urns connecting to an alcove with Moorish arch, seat and Minton tiled floor and a pergola of square brick piers with pierced stone balustrading at the base, and wooden cross beams. This is connected to a low pierced stone wall to the east incorporating three ornamental ponds. The central pond is square and incorporates four semi-circular planters; the end ponds are rectangular, and have two semi-circular planters each and red and black tiles. INTERIOR: Some features from the 1840s house remain. Dating from this period are the marble fireplaces to the Library, Dining Room and Drawing Room and the large well staircase with cast iron balustrading and mahogany handrail, together with fine mahogany doors, original shutters and storm shutters and upstairs lavatory. Teulon provided a series of high quality interiors, mainly on the ground floor. The Hall has Minton tiled floor and green dado tiles and stained glass window with the Calthorpe crest. It retains the original boarded ceiling with stencilled ivy leaf design. The staircase stained glass window is dated 1873 and is a heraldic window of the Calthorpe family. Rooms on the ground floor have pierced cornices and panelled ceilings. The Drawing Room has a stained glass window and the Vestibule, originally to the Conservatory, later to the Billiard Room, has three fine stained glass windows depicting birds, flowers, strawberries, raspberries and cherries. There is a further stained glass window upstairs with snowdrops and primroses and the initials SC and LC. The 1894 Billiard Room has fine contemporary wooden dado panelling and a wooden fireplace with Gibbs surround, large console brackets, masks, blank shields and turquoise tiles with peacock pattern and brass fireplace. The coved roof has timber ribs and the lantern has bottle glass. The adjoining cloakroom retains original Simplicitas lavatory and hand basin. Circa 1912 features of interest include a spyhole to the front door, speaking tube to the Library and original lift.

HISTORY: Teulon's designs for the north and east elevations of Woodlands Vale are dated October 1870. Lord Calthorpe was an aide de camp to Lord Raglan in the Crimean War. Woodlands Vale was used as a summer residence only, Lord Calthorpe's principal residence being Elvetham Hall in Hampshire, built between 1858-60, and also designed by Teulon. It is not known at present who designed the 1880 Dining Room bay, 1894 Billiard Room and 1912 porte cochere for the Calthorpe family. During the C20 the building was a hotel for some time, but it has now reverted to private ownership.

A major commission by the distinguished architect Samuel Sanders Teulon of c1870 in French Renaissance style, refurbishing an existing 1840s house. Woodlands Vale includes high quality interior fittings, together with good quality later C19 additions and attached garden structures, forming an unusually unaltered C19 summer residence of the aristocracy.

["Buildings of England: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight." p766.]

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