Description

ST 98 NE CHARLTON CHARLTON PARK

12.12.51

6/20 Charlton Park House

I

Former large country house, now divided into 18 separate dwellings.
Built c1607 for the Countess of Suffolk, enlarged in 1772-6 by
Matthew Brettingham the younger but not completed until early in
the C20; converted into apartments by C. Buxton of Period &
Country Houses in 1975. Squared and coursed rubble to projecting
wings of south front, ashlar to remaining ranges, stone dressings,
ashlar strapwork cresting, leaded onion domes to turrets, concrete
slate roofs. Jacobean style tower house, quadrangular in plan with
corner turrets. Of 1607 the south front and the south section of
the west front; of 1772-6 the linking ranges and central saloon
built within the original courtyard (date MDCCLXXIV on parapet of
north range). E-shaped plan to south front with 3-storey, 1-bay
advanced end wings, 4-storey corner turrets in the angle with rear
3-storey, 3-bay range which has an advanced central 2-storey porch
on coupled Tuscan Doric columns and an open round-arched entrance
giving onto an open round-arched loggia which extends along the
width of the facade from turret to turret. Chamfered cross-
mullioned fenestration with small pane casements, some with arched
central lights; octagonal leaded glazing to oriel window over
porch. Metope and strapwork frieze to porch and loggia, moulded
string courses to all floors, pierced diaper balcony to porch,
gabled strapwork cresting to side wings, central parapet and
turrets, tall columnar stacks in groups of 4. East front with 3-
storey canted end bays and linking C18 two-storey, 5-bay range with
12-pane sashes and 3 pedimented dormers. North front has
projecting end bays and similar C18 linking range with dated
cartouche below lion on the parapet.
Interior. Of 1607 the Long Gallery over the loggia, inaccessible
on resurvey but with fine chimneypiece and plaster ceiling. Of
1772-6 the Saloon with apses to north and south, galleries on Ionic
columns to east and west sides and glazed oval dome all in elegant
Adam-style stucco decoration. Similar decoration to Drawing Room
in north range and further, former reception rooms, now converted,
in east wing. Simple staircase in south-east corner of Saloon with
wrought iron balustrade.
(Unpublished R.C.H.M. report; John Britton, The Beauties of
England & Wales, 1814; Country Life, 14 & 21 October 1933; N.
Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Wiltshire, 1975)

Listing NGR: ST9525589175

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Charlton Park at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5086328

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)