Terrace walls, balustrading, steps and piers at Chantmarle

Summary

Terrace walls, balustrading, piers and steps at Chantmarle Manor, built c.1910 by Francis Inigo Thomas for Francis Savile.

Reasons for Designation

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION:
The Terrace walls, balustrading, steps and piers at Chantmarle, built c.1910 by Francis Inigo Thomas for Francis Savile, are listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: as a good example of early C20 garden structures designed by a noted architect, with good quality stone carving and forming part of the formal gardens around Chantmarle Manor;
* Group value: with Chantmarle Manor (listed Grade I) and the other garden structures (listed Grade II), and the Grade II* Registered Park and Garden.

History

The medieval manor of Chantmarle was bought in 1606 by Sir John Strode, a wealthy lawyer, who proceeded to rebuild the house from 1612. The C17 house was built to an E-plan, with part of the earlier house retained to the rear. Through the C18 and C19 the house was tenanted, and the wings were demolished leaving the central portion with its projecting porch. This was bought in 1907 by Francis Savile, who subsequently engaged the architect and garden designer Francis Inigo Thomas to lay out new formal gardens around the house.

The terrace walls, baulstrading, piers and steps form part of the garden scheme designed and built by Inigo Thomas c.1910.

Details

Terrace walls, balustrading, piers and steps at Chantmarle Manor, built c.1910 by Francis Inigo Thomas for Francis Savile.

MATERIALS
The walls, balustrading, piers and steps are constructed of Ham stone.

PLAN
The structures are laid out around the formal gardens adjacent to Chantmarle Manor. There is a long terrace wall running north-south adjacent to the canal, with a pair of piers and steps on the axis from the porch of the house. A further wall runs east-west dividing the entrance forecourt from the south garden, and a terrace wall to the west running north-south divides that garden from the croquet lawn above. Four sections of balustrading surround the pond in the centre of the south garden.

DESCRIPTION
The terrace wall adjacent to the canal runs north-south for approximately 110 metres and consists of an ashlar wall surmounted by stone balustrading, with square piers at regular intervals between the balustrading. These stop at either end of the forecourt, and the wall continues with plain stone cappings beyond this point. At the northern end of the wall is a set of stone steps which provides access from the forecourt to the level of the canal. On an axis with the porch of the house, a small balustraded balcony breaks forward of the wall on corbels which match those of the oriel window above the entrance door to the house. This is flanked by a pair of tall obelisks. Continuing this axis, across the canal, is a pair of tall gatepiers with ball finials, which flank a set of semi-circular steps which give access to the meadow area beyond.

Further to the south, the wall ramps up to a pair of tall obelisks which flank a broad stone bench facing the South Garden and the central axis running east-west. In the canal-facing elevation there is a shell-hooded niche between the obelisks. The southern end of this wall steps down to form a cascade where the stream from the rock garden falls into the canal. The entrance forecourt and south garden are divided by a wall of coursed rubble stone with moulded ashlar copings. In the wall is an ashlar stone gateway with an ornate iron gate.

In the centre of the south garden are four sections of balustrading which surround the central pond and echo the grass quadrants beyond. To the west is a terrace wall running north-south for approximately 50 metres, and dividing the south garden from the croquet lawn above. This wall is of ashlar stone with balustraded parapets. The balustrading has piers at regular intervals; these have corresponding buttresses on the eastern face. At the north and south ends of the wall there are flights of steps providing access between the levels, and a central, broad flight of steps continuing the east-west axis across the garden.

Sources

Books and journals
Oswald, A, Country Houses of Dorset, (1959), 97 - 99
Mowl, T, Historic Gardens of Dorset, (2003), 134-138

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