Description

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ST 86 SW
6/116

BRADFORD-ON-AVON
BELCOMBE ROAD (north side)
Belcombe Court

18.4.52

GV
I

Country house. Building with C17 origins rebuilt 1734 by John Wood the Elder for Francis Yerbury, clothier. Coursed and dressed limestone with ashlar facades in Westwood stone to south and west; stone slate and Welsh slate roofs; ashlar ridge and end stacks.

Asymmetrical plan, with west wing having study and parlour to south of central hall and service end; central connecting block with dining room between west wing and smaller east wing. Palladian style. Two storeys. Dining Room, west wing and east wing enclose three sides of a central courtyard to south, paved in local ragstone set on edge with centre in circular courses: four-bay west (left) elevation, with revealed C19 six/six-pane sashes, has two bays to left pedimented and brought forward and set to left of pedimented principal doorway which has panelled door set in square-headed moulded architrave with engaged Ionic columns to pulvinated frieze enriched with bay leaf and garlands to cornice and triangular pediment; south elevation (to central dining room) of five bays with revealed C19 six/six-pane sashes, has carved stone bust set in circular recess above central semi-circular arched recess with keystone and imposts; tall gable set above parapet and east wing to right has small bellcote above two arched openings for bells and clock with initials "J.Y." and date "1770".

East (right) elevation has two revealed C19 six/six-pane sashes and similar parapet, terminated by an end block which has keystone and imposts to semi-circular arched archway, string course beneath similar bust and recess, supporting a circular stone turret with stone domed roof surmounted by a circular lantern with cupola and wind vane. Other east wing elevations have one one-light trefoil-headed window to south and similar bust and archway to east of end archway block, late C17/early C18 two-light stone-mullioned windows and other elevations with C19 glazing-bar casements and, to east, mid C18 four/four-pane sashes with thick glazing bars. Rear of central dining-room range has four C19 six/six-pane sashes, outshut adjoining lateral stack and moulded flat hood over C18 panelled door. West wing has principal garden fronts to south and west. Pedimented three-bay south elevation articulated by Ionic pilasters from plinth course to cornice, pulvinated frieze, dentilled cornice and dentilled pediment with egg and dart carving, circular window to tympanum and garlanded stone urns to acroteriae; C19 ground-floor six/six-pane and first-floor three/three-pane sashes set in moulded stone architraves, those on ground floor with pulvinated friezes, triangular pediments on enriched brackets and balustraded aprons set on plinth course; stone balustrade each with three ornamental urns runs diagonally from each angle.

West elevation: seven-bay range of 1:2:2:2 fenestration with revealed C19 six/six-pane sashes to slightly-projecting two-bay pedimented wings to right and left of centre, that to left having thick mid C18 glazing bars to ground-floor window adjoining inserted C19 half-glazed door; bay to left, with cornice to parapet, has tripartite sash above six/six-pane sash set in Venetian architrave with Tuscan pilasters and entablature to central triangular pediment; bays to centre, with similar cornice and parapet and irregular fenestration, have tripartite sash above canted bay window with C19 four/four-pane sashes and sash with radiating glazing bars to tall stair light above C19 half-glazed door; paved area to front with some balustrading; mansard roof with two flat-headed dormers. Rear north and east elevations of west wing, to service court, have revealed C19 sashes of up to eight/eight-panes, and stone bracketed hood over panelled door.

Interior: Dining Room to centre wing has foliate frieze to cornice and late C18 neoclassical fireplace. Room to right of this has late C18 neoclassical fireplace, mid C19 flanking cupboards, panelled dado with Vitruvian frieze to rail and mid C19 lincrusta frieze with pomegranates etc. West wing has principal accommodation and rare surviving interiors by Wood: hall to centre has decorative flag floor and fine dog-leg staircase with turned balusters to front of segmental arch on fluted Corinthian columns to bay with fine c.1730/40 fireplace with sunburst mask to frieze and flanking female terms (imported mid C20). Panelled octagonal study to south has fine enriched carving to shutters, doors, window architraves and two recesses, and pulvinated bayleaf-carved frieze over marble fireplace with moulded architrave; particularly fine coved rococo ceiling, probably by Thomas Stocking, with swags of leaves, grapes and roses to border, and enriched modillioned cornice to octagonal panel having basket with fruit and flowers, encircled by cherubs set against background of clouds.

Drawing Room to west of study (facing garden) has similar carvings to architraves and panelling, early C19 classical fireplace with Ionic pilasters and modillioned cornice to fine ceiling, probably by William Stocking, with delicate interwoven tendrils and butterflies; mirror set in pedimented Corinthian aedicule flanked by two niches. First floor: fine panelled doors and shutters; mid C18 coved ceilings and moulded cornices; panelled rooms with original fireplaces and basket grates; suite of three rooms, central room (former dressing room) having fine plaster frieze with urns etc and flanking rooms each having bed alcoves with elliptical arches on Doric columns, room to east having overmantle medallion with Hercules and female figures.

One of the most celebrated of Wood's villa designs, "the most lyrical of all Wood's creations" (Mowl and Earnshaw). Also notable for its rare surviving interiors by Wood.

Tim Mowl and Brian Earnshaw, John Wood, Architect of Obsession, 1988, pp 120-125; Buildings of England: Wiltshire, p 138;

H Colvin, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840, 1978, p 910;

G Nares, Country Life, 22 December 1950, pp 2146-2150;

A Hellyer, Country Life, 20 July 1989, pp 72-5.

Listing NGR: ST8173860633

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17529400

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

• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2