Pythouse

Details

WEST TISBURY PYTHOUSE PARK ST 92 NW (north side)

4/292 Pythouse 6.1.66 GV II*

Country house, now residential apartments. Circa 1725, rebuilt 1805 by John Benett, rear service wings 1891 for Vere Benett- Stanford. Limestone ashlar, Welsh slate hipped roofs, stone stacks. Regency. Two-storey and basement, 9-bay symmetrical front. Central tetrastyle Ionic portico with unfluted columns, up steps with mounting block, channelled rusticated basement has three 3-pane windows either side. Ground floor has central panelled double doors in moulded architrave, four plate glass sashes left and right. First floor has nine plate glass sashes. Moulded cornice to pediment with Benett arms and blocking course, cast-iron rainwater heads dated 1805. Right and left returns with central distyle in antis Ionic portico with French windows and 12-pane or plate glass sashes, cast-iron balustrade to steps and portico, flanking bays have tripartite sashes with segmental-headed panels to ground floor, sashes to first floor, cornice and blocking course as front. To rear of returns are projecting ashlar-faced 1891 wings with bow-fronted 2-storey porches with French windows up steps with stone balustrades, plate glass sashes. Rear service wings in yellow cavity-walled brick flank the service courtyard; plate glass segmental-headed sashes, 4-panelled and half-glazed doors, cast-iron rainwater heads dated 1891, lead and slate roofs with raking attic dormers. Interior: entrance hall with diagonally-laid marble floor, 8- panelled double doors, anthemion ceiling frieze. Central stair hall wth stone stairs on cast-iron arched trellis support, returns are cantilevered, cast-iron 'rod' balusters, wreathed moulded handrails, marble Ionic columns to upper corridor, guilloche frieze to coved ceiling with oval toplight. Morning room has fine grey marble fireplace with canopy with floral frieze on enriched columns and date 1553, probably Italian, plaster ceiling frieze with vine motif. Drawing room has fine Italian fireplace with classical scene with figures to frieze of canopy. First floor retains some fittings of early C18 house, to middle range; east side has stairs with two turned balusters per open string tread, wide moulded handrail, doors with two raised panels, some dado panelling, west side of house has room with good marble fireplace with rococo frieze and consoles to cornice and overmantel, full fielded panelling and dentil cornice, door with 6 fielded panels in enriched architrave. Kitchen of 1891 retains original blue or white tiled walls, glazed roof, large segmental-arched opening to former ranges. Glazed corridor at first floor level linking 1805 range with 1891 wings has tesselated floor, octagonal leaded windows. Fine classical house set in parkland with ha-ha. The front is very similar to front of Phillips House, Dinton (q.v.), begun 1813 and by Jeffry Wyatville. (Country Houses Association guide; N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England, Wiltshire, 1975)

Listing NGR: ST9063528564

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

321084

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pythouse guide, ()
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Wiltshire, (1975)

End of official list entry

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