Details
PRESTON ON STOUR
SP2050 SHIPSTON ROAD (A 3400), Alscot Park
1912-1/11/146 (West side (off))
06/02/52 Alscot Park
(Formerly Listed as:
PRESTON-ON-STOUR
Alscot Park)
GV I
Country house. Probably C17, much altered c1750; south wing
1762-4 by Thomas and Edward Woodward, masons, and John
Phillips and George Shakespear, carpenter-surveyors, for and
probably designed by James West; porch added 1825 by Thomas
Hopper.
MATERIALS: limestone ashlar; hipped graduated slate roofs with
ashlar stacks.
STYLE: Georgian Gothic.
PLAN: T-plan.
EXTERIOR: south, entrance, front of 2 storeys with basement;
symmetrical 7-window range. Moulded plinth, string course and
top cornice and crenellated parapet; polygonal turrets with
blind ogee arches, quatrefoils and ogival caps flank the
3-window centre. Porch has turrets similar to larger ones,
cornice and crenellated parapet over moulded ogee arch; inner
ogee-headed entrance has panelled door. Ogee-headed windows
with moulded sills and reveals, those to centre of 2 lights
with 6/6 and 4/4 sashes; outer windows have 6/6 sashes with
intersecting glazing bars. Pierced stone covers to cellar
lights. 2 cross-axial stacks.
Each return has full-height canted bay with 3 ogee-headed
windows to each floor; similar sashes, those to ground floor
with 6/9 panes.
Rear of south wing has central forward break; to left and
right are ogee-headed windows, those to basement with 3/3
sashes; ground floor has 3 windows with 6/6 frames to east, 3
blind windows to west; 1st floor has to each side blind
windows flanking sashed windows; similar windows to returns of
forward break, 6/6 sashes to ground floor and 1st floor east.
North-west angle has short attached terrace wall with ogee
arches over basement with entrance, ending in octagonal pier
with traceried and Tudor flower panels, brattished cap and
marble urn.
Lower north wing of 3 storeys and basement built into slope of
river bank. Drip courses and cornice and crenellated parapet;
2 cross-axial stacks and 2 end lateral stacks. Symmetrical end
has full-height half-octagonal bay; entrance has moulded
reveals to 6-panel door with flanking 2-light
moulded-mullioned windows and similar 3-light window to each
side, small-paned casements; ground and 1st floors have
ogee-headed windows with moulded sills and 6/6 or 4/4 sashes;
top floor has 2-light windows.
West elevation has a pair of 3-storey half-octagonal bays to
right end with 2-light windows to basement with single lights
to return, bay to right with half-glazed door, and ogee-headed
windows with 4/4 sashes above; to left a basement window and
to ground floor 2 paired windows with moulded reveals to 4/4
sashes with thick glazing bars; 2 3-light windows with narrow
sashes to 1st floor and 2 3-light windows with casements to
top floor.
Similar east side, but to right of bays an entrance with
fanlight over 4-panel door to right of blocked opening, Sun
firemark and bell in cast-iron mounting; right end breaks
forward with 3-light basement windows, ogee-headed windows
with 6-pane sashes to ground and 1st floors and 2-light
windows with small-paned casements to top floor. Several
rainwater heads and downspouts around house.
INTERIOR: entrance hall has Rococo Gothic stucco panelling by
Robert Moore, with foliate frieze to Gothic-style entablature
and fan-like Gothic motif to centre of ceiling; fireplace to
each end has stone trefoil arch with shell motif over and bust
on bracket to overmantel, cast-iron grate. Ogee-headed
entrance has bust on bracket above. Ogee-headed doors
throughout.
Drawing room to left has dado panelling and rich architraves
to doors; white marble fireplace with coloured marble inlay,
including large panel of Blue John, and Ionic columns; rich
papier-mache ceiling with fan vault pattern, 1765, by Thomas
Bromwich.
Dining room to right noted as having architraves to doors with
rich carving; fireplace as to drawing room but in Gothic
style; entablature and heavy early Victorian ceiling with
pendants.
1840s Gothic-style cantilevered staircase has cast-iron
balustrade with some cusping, panelled stucco and skylight.
Library has C18 panelling and early Victorian ceiling. 1750s
north open-well staircase has wrought-iron balustrade with
scrolly members, and scrolly foliage to soffits; ogee-panelled
stucco, by R Moore, and skylight.
Basement at north end of house has exposed timber framing and
stop-chamfered beams, some brick-vaulted rooms and flag
floors.
`One of the two most rewarding Early Gothic Revival Houses of
Warwickshire' (Pevsner).
(Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Warwickshire: Harmondsworth:
1966-: 416; Beard G: Craftsmen and Interior Decoration in
England 1660-1820: London: 1981-: 248, 272).
Listing NGR: SP2080550471
