Cowley Manor

Details

COWLEY COWLEY VILLAGE SO 9614

10/82 Cowley Manor

4.7.60

GV II

Country house. A house was built on the site by Henry Brett in 1695, the footings and possibly some of the outer walls of this house may survive beneath the Italianate house built for James Hutchinson to the designs of G. Somers Clarke c1855. In the late 1890s Sir James Horlick, founder of the Malted Milk Co., extended the main body by 6 facsimile bays to the west and enlarged the service wing. Rectangular main body with large service wing at the north west corner. Single-storey, 2 and 3 storeys. Entrance front: 11 bays, with a projecting porch, created c1930, with 6- panelled door within a lugged surround with a triple keystone at the centre of the mid C19 range. Two-bay colonnade with Tuscan columns and balustraded parapet either side of the porch; the line of the colonnade and parapet, is continued by one bay to the left and by 6 bays to the right, these bays and those at the rear of the colonnade are lit by 4-pane sashes. Four-pane sashes with moulded hoods to the first floor, similar 4-pane sashes to the second floor; balustraded parapet with a modillion cornice. Service wing projects forwards right and is lit by 2, 4 and 12-pane sashes; bands between the floors; modillion cornice and balustraded parapet. East gable end of the main body overlooking the churchyard: single-storey extension with paired pilasters at corners, far left, lit by three round-headed sash windows with horns; similar round-headed window set back to the right. Round- headed window with leaded panes, keystone and imposts to the first floor. South front of the main body: 11 bays with a covered colonnade at the front continued by one bay to the right and by 4 bays to the left: C20 double glass doors within round-headed surrounds with spandrels with either lion or griffin decoration flanked by Ionic pilasters. The doorway at the far right-hand end is flanked by single lights and round-headed niches with an oval panel decorated with either flowers or game; similar arrangement at the far left end and four bays in from the left; balustrade formerly with urns at intervals. Four-pane sashes with moulded lugged surrounds with panelled frieze with either griffin or lion motifs and triangular pediments. Four-pane sashes with lugged surrounds to the second floor. Parapet with modillion cornice with guilloche decoration and decorated string. Hipped roofs with gable end and axial stacks with segmental flue divisions. Interior: the entrance hall has been redesigned and most of the fireplaces, decorative plasterwork ceilings and panelling, introduced by R.A. Briggs for Sir James Horlick in the late C19, have been removed. The ballroom dating from the same period has been demolished. The mid C18 style staircase with iron twist, column on vase and barleytwist balusters date from c1928. The library retains its round-headed built-in shelf alcoves. The dining room is panelled with fluted Ionic pilasters at intervals. Late C19 fielded panelling to the corridors. The former drawing room, now known as the ballroom, together with a small adjoining room survive substantially intact. These rooms have tall rectangular sunken panelling with smaller panels at the top and bottom with burning torches, theatrical masks; roses, sheathed arrows or musical instruments carved in relief and a black and white marble fireplace. One upstairs bedroom retains fielded panelling and a bolection moulded marble fireplace. A glass-walled bathroom installed by Elwes and Co. of London c1937 remains intact but was not inspected at the time of the resurvey, January 1987. (David Verey, The Buildings of England, The Cotswolds; V.C.H. Glos, Vol VII, p194; Notes for forthcoming book by N. Kingsley n.d.)

Listing NGR: SO9646314660

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

135033

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Verey, D, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 1 The Cotswolds, (1970)
Page, W, The Victoria History of the County of Gloucester, (1981), 194

Other
Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, Part 16 Gloucestershire,

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