Description

KINGSTON BAGPUIZE WITH SOUTHMOOR KINGSTON BAGPUIZE PARK
SU4097
14/99 Kingston House
06/08/52 (Formerly listed as Kingston
House including Gazebo)

GV II*

Country house. c.1710, probably for Fettiplace Blandy, but with possible C17
origins: interior partly remodelled c.1730. Flemish bond red brick; limestone
ashlar basement, quoin strips and dressings. Shallow gabled lead roof. Brick
stacks, projecting from side walls of central block, are each paired together by
round arch with moulded stone dressings. Double-pile plan. Early Georgian style.
2 storeys; 7-window range. 2:3:2 front has projecting pedimented central block
raised by an attic above the outer bays. 2-light stone-mullioned basement
windows. Steps to double-leaf doors with fanlight: keyed round-arched doorway
has Doric entablature and base (without shaft) sunk into rusticated surround
with triglyph frieze: segmental-arched sash window above has engaged Ionic
columns and curved shoulders. 6-pane sashes with thick glazing bars to all
windows: moulded stone architraves to keyed round-arched windows, and
segmental-arched first-floor windows, all with apron blocks. String course.
Moulded cornice carried across raised centre which has keyed moulded architraves
to attic windows and lunette in pediment. Flaming urns of the Blandy family
placed at outer ends of pediment and flanking parapets. Almost identical rear
elevation has 2-light cavetto-moulded basement windows and double-leaf doors set
in plain moulded architrave with fanlight and entablature. Pedimented 3-bay side
walls have similar windows and 2 round-headed attic windows in each pediment:
doorway to left has stone steps with brick walls and stone piers. Interior:
basement has C18 kitchen and reset early C17 panelling with traces of filigree
decoration beneath the paint. Plan: central hall opens to rear hall with
staircase: first-floor saloon subdivided in 1730s. Hall has Ionic dentilled
cornice, panelled dado and, on the rear wall, a tall round-arched entry with
later C18 door and panelling flanked by 2 fine Baroque stone fireplaces. Keyed
segmental-arched doorways with 6-panelled doors to dining room on left, with
doors, panelling and marble fireplace of c.1730, and parlour on right with
similar panelling and earlier C18 fireplace which has finely carved frieze and
Fettiplace griffins on the consoles. Bedroom opening onto closet behind parlour
has earlier C18 bolection-moulded panelling with dentilled pediment over doorway
and broken-pediment entablature over marble fireplace: much of the panelling and
the cornice removed in mid C20. Dog-leg back stairs behind dining room has
turned balusters on closed string. Fine staircase, with pedestal-shaped newels
and fluted bulbs carved at foot of turned balusters, rises in 2 arms to
balustraded first-floor gallery: buffet on gallery has finely carved large shell
niche. Panelled rooms of c.1730, eared architrave to overmantle on right.
History: likely dates are about 1710 when Fettiplace Blandy, son of John Blandy
and grandson of Sir Edmund Fettiplace, succeeded to the property; and in 1728
when the Blandys bought the "Mansion House" which the deed states had been
purchased by Fettiplace from John Latton in 1670, the old moated house being
left to fall down. It has been suggested that George Townsend built the Early
georgian house because of similarities with the designs of hid former master,
Vanbrugh.
(Buildings of England: Berkshire, pp.160-161; V.C.H.: Berkshire, Vol.IV, p.349;
C. Hussey, "Kingston House, Berkshire", Country Life, November '9, 1942,
pp.890-3, 938-41; John Betjeman and John Piper, "Murray's Architectural Guide":
Berkshire, 1949, p.131; deed at Kingston House dated 22.11.1728; H.M. Colvin, A
Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 1660-1830, 1978, p.830).

Listing NGR: SU4072897913

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Kingston House official website
• Wikidata Q17550176

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

• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6