Description

ST 76 SE SOUTH STOKE MIDFORD ROAD (north side)

7/186 Midford Castle with former Offices
and Coach-houses
1.2.56
I
G.V.

Small country house standing on and surrounded by its offices and coach-houses;
the latter are now part of the house. Circa 1775 for Henry Disney Roebuck, after
designs by John Carter; porch added c. 1810 for Conolly family. The house has a
sub triangular or trefoil plan formed by 3 semi-circular towers conjoined; the
basement is surrounded on the north, east and west sides by the offices and coach-
houses which rise up to create a terraced platform which is at ground floor level
on the west side; everything is in a Gothick style. The house is 3 storeys with
a basement, and embattled parapets. 3 windows to the towers with a single bay to
the linking sections: Gothick glazing bar sash windows with pointed heads and
under ogee hoodmoulds with finials; square headed glazing bar sashes to first
floor, with quatrefoil decorated blind boxes, and square hoodmoulds over; the
east (entrance) elevation has tripartite windows on the first floor. The towers
continue up to form hollow semi-circular screen walls which are pierced by
quatrefoils under arched hoodmoulds on corbels. Projecting porch to east side
(added c.1810) flanked by embattled, octagonal turrets with blind cross-loop
windows; central gothic style panelled doors with quatrefoils and a highly
decorative traceried overlight, all set in a shallow arch with a moulded hood on
thin columns. C20 entrance wing on north side. The walls of the basement/
offices are approximately 20 feet high and are constructed of coursed squared
rubble with freestone dressings;with ashlar parapets pierced with quatrefoils:
pointed doorways and glazing bar sash windows set in recessed arched surrounds.
Interior. East doorway with panelled and glazed Gothick style doors under an
overlight and in ogee and roll moulded surround. The central room on each floor
is lozenge shaped and the tower rooms have semi-circular ends. All the rooms
retain panelled doors in moulded architraves, arched window architraves and fine
free style plasterwork ceilings with enriched cornices. The plasterwork ceilings
are variations on a theme of sprays of bay and rose sparsely intertwined around
long branches, forming circular, lobed and star-shaped patterns; the first floor
north room has free flying naturalistic birds in the open spaces. Library:
2 recessed niches with moulded architraves, Corinthian capitals and pointed heads.
Dining Room: neo-classical fireplace in enriched surround with tablet of musical
instruments in centre of frieze; surmounted by open pediment with urn and set in
a stucco archway with scroll work enrichment; matching sideboard arch on other
side of door. Dog-leg stair with mahogany handrail on fluted newel columns.
(Country Life, 3.III.1944., 1O.III.1944.).

Listing NGR: ST7595561331

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Midford Castle at Wikipedia
• Wikidata IDs Q17524590 Q6842179

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

• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)