Description

CORNWELL
SP2627-2727
13/79 Cornwell Manor
27.8.54
GV II*

Manor house. Circa 1750 incorporating core of C16/C17 house; later additions and
alterations including ballroom of c.1939 by Clough Williams Ellis for Mrs.
Anthony Gillson. Regularly coursed and dressed limestone rubble with ashlar
dressings; hipped stone slate roof with coped parapet. Double-depth plan with
projection at right-angles to rear on east. 2 storeys and attic with chamfered
plinth, floor band, dipping first-floor cill band and plain eaves cornice. South
front: 2:3:2 bays, centre section forming slightly projecting pedimented break
with keyed oeil de boeuf to pediment and lead downpipes in angles. Glazing bar
sashes in plain moulded surrounds. Central entrance; 6-panel door with
decorative semi-circular fanlight in pedimented Doric doorcase with triglyph
frieze. Pedimented dormers in bottom of roof slope to left and right. East
front. Prominent full-height ashlar-faced canted bay with pyramidal roof to
centre has floor bands, dipping first-floor cill band and 3 glazing bar sashes
to each floor, ground-floor centre cut down to form French casement. 2 glazing
bar sashes in plain moulded surrounds on each floor to each side, inner narrow
and 8-paned (thick glazing bars), outer right on first floor 15-paned and with
segmental arches over outer windows on ground floor, lead downpipes in angles
with canted bay. 5 dormers in bottom of roof slope, 2 to left and 3 to right of
canted bay, outer large arid all pedimented except hip-roofed dormer immediately
to right of canted bay. Ridge stack to left with dripstones and moulded capping
to paired and rebated shafts and similar integral stack to right gable end,
which has coped verges. West front of main range has full-height semi-circular
staircase projection with conical roof and Oxfordshire Fire Insurance plate
(no.40963) affixed. North side. Looks Cl7 or earlier. Thick glazing bar sashes
on each floor, those to first floor in moulded surrounds with labels from
earlier mullioned and transomed windows. Venetian window lighting staircase to
left with straight joint and various infilled openings to right. Rear of
projecting east side has similar windows on first floor to those on first floor
of north side. 2-light ogee-moulded mullion window to left on ground floor.
Early Cl7 service range forming L-shape around courtyard to north of main range.
One storey and attic. North range (courtyard side) has filleted ogee-moulded and
chamfered mullion windows and one small lancet to right, all with leaded lights.
3 prominent gabled half-dormers with leaded cross casements. Ridge stacks and
end stack to right, all with shafts rebuilt. West range (west side) has
prominent gabled projection to centre, having 3-light mullion window with
dripstone to first floor and later lean-to below. 4-light ogee-moulded mullion
window with dripstone to left on ground floor with pedimented eaves dormer
directly above. 2 pedimented half-dormers to right of gable, left with cross
casement. 6-panel door (upper panels now glazed) with casement adjoining to left
and leaded casement to right. Ridge stacks to left and right of gable and end
stack to left, all with shafts rebuilt. Small C20 outbuilding (probably by
Clough Williams Ellis) to rear on right links service range with main range.
North range of service block is linked to ballroom by flat-roofed connecting
range with balustraded parapet. Roughcast and buttressed in 4 bays with
full-height 40-paned glazing bar sashes to inner bays and glazed neo-Georgian
door to right. Rendered full-height canted bay with tall glazing bar sashes to
south, gable end but bridge formerly linking it to service range now removed.
Stepped external end stack to north gable end. Interior. Entrance hall
remodelled 1939. Rusticated doorways to left and right in back wall flanking C18
stone fireplace with Penyston family coat-of-arms. Triple rusticated arches to
side wails, all blind except for centre on right which has panelled door indice
to drawing room. Stone-flag floor and plain moulded stone cornice. Room behind
entrance hall to left has rectangular panelling of c.1640 (restored C20) painted
to imitate walnut, said to have been moved from elsewhere in house. Staircase
hall with stone-flag floor has C18 open-well staircase with carved open string
and slender turned balusters with decorated bottoms, 2 to each tread. Wreathed
and ramped handrail with circular newels and plain ramped dado. Square space
above (probably formerly with lantern) has C20 plaster cornice with egg and dart
moulding. Front right ground-floor room (drawing-room) has plain moulded
bevelled panelling and Adam-style fireplace with Greek-key ornament to back
wall. In the front wall 2 mirrors with Rococo plasterwork frames and similar
overthrows to windows. Rear right ground-floor room (former library) formerly
also had panelling of c.1640 carved with geometric patterns and painted with
urns of flowers but this now removed. Principal first-floor rooms have plaster
cornices and elaborate C19 fireplace surrounds. Panelled doors throughout. Wood
spiral staircase in semi-circular projection rises to attic, which has moulded
stone fireplace with 4-centred arch. Cellar has square columns with plain
imposts (probably Cl7) supporting barrel vault. North range of service block
has encased cross beams and chamfered spine beams to ground floor. Principal
rafters of room structure visible to attic, which has staircase with carved
splat balusters at west range. Ballroom has enriched coved plaster ceiling and
cornice with leaf decoration. Rusticated surrounds to doors including 2 to south
end beneath projecting semi-circular balcony with decorative turned balusters.
Plaster garlands below roundels to side walls and wood fireplace surround to
north end has carved male heads to either side. Terrace and steps by Clough
Williams Ellis to south of main front are not included in this list.
(Buildings of England; Oxfordshire: pp556-7; Country Life: May 17, 24, 31
(1941); House and Garden: February 84, March 86)
[2523]

Listing NGR: SP2718227170

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Cornwell Manor official website
• Wikidata Q17531958

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

• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)