Description

SU 8281-8381 HURLEY BURCHETTS GREEN ROAD
(west side, off)
Burchetts Green

19/1 Hall Place
25.3.55
G.V. I

Large country house in parkland, now the Berkshire College of Agriculture. Built 1728-1735
for William East, on the site of a late C17 house of which only a small part remains in
the south wing. Altered and extended mid to late C20. Brick, stone dressings, slate hipped
roofs of different heights. Symmetrical plan with nearly square centre section and balancing
wings projecting forward on each side. Centre section 3 storeys and basement, one-storey
blocks with basements link the 2-storey wings to the centre section. Entrance, east front:
centre section: stone string at ground floor, stone blocking course, frieze and moulded cornice
forming parapet on all 4 sides, breaking out over pilasters at the angles. End chimneys.
7 bays. Sash windows with glazing bars, shorter on 2nd floor, in reveals, stone cills, gauged
arches with keystones. Entrance: large double-doors, now part glazed; door-case with
panelled pilasters, leaf and scroll capitals, and moulded cornice and pediment; approached
by a flight of 7 stone steps with stone base balustrade and coping each side. Linking blocks:
stone string running through with string on centre section. Plain stone frieze below panelled
brick parapet. 3 bays. Similar windows to centre section. Wings: stone string midway
between ground and first floor, 6-bay return fronts to linking blocks. Similar sash windows,
very tall at ground floor level. Right-hand wing: 2 bays on west front, similar sash windows
at first floor, none at ground floor. Left-hand wing: 4 bays. One sash window on right
on first floor, other openings blind. South front of this wing contains parts of the older :
building and is as follows: rendered ground floor, stone string over, brick and parapet above.
5 bays. Sash windows with glazing bars, gauged arches and keystones on first floor. 3 semi-
circular arched openings forming loggia on ground floor with semicircular-headed sash windows
either side; thick glazing bars; the one on the right partly altered to form door. At the
back of the loggia is a glazed garden double-door with bars in a door-case of panelled pilasters
with leaf capitals and scrolls; moulded frieze and scrolled pediment. Raised stone terrace
at front, approached by flight of 7 stone steps; moulded piers at foot. Interior: richly
ornate stucco-work in drawing room and ante-room on walls, ceilings and chimney pieces,
and on the chimney pieces in the library and dining room. This work is thought to be by
the Italians, Artari and Vassali. Entrance hall: entablature with pulvinated frieze to entrance
doors, large carved stone fireplace and chequered marble floor. Principal's office (former
morning room): pine panelling, fine door-cases with eared architraves, moulded cornices
and 6-panelled doors. Cornice with chevron ornament. Reception (former library): boldly
carved entablature with egg and dart ornament, enriched panelling, dado and window shutters.
2 door-cases with carved oak-leaf friezes. Baroque chimney piece with moulded marble
fireplace, richly ornate stucco overmantel with central relief panel depicting the Sacrifice
of Iphigenia. Library (former drawing room): 3 Palladian-style Corinthian door-cases.
Richly decorated stuccoed walls and ceiling; on the end walls are large panels with entwined
dolphins; on the east wall, panels framing swags, cartouches and masks, with 2 larger panels
with festooning ornament enclosing 2 portrait busts. Fine ceiling with cornice of shell
and acanthus leaf ornament. Chimney piece with marble fireplace; overmantel with canopy
of drapery and baroque scrolls; and with a medallion bust of Queen Caroline. Salter Chalker
room (former ante-room): One door-case of the Doric Order. Stuccoed ceiling with Doric
entablature. Palladian-style chimney piece with pedimented marble fireplace, overmantel
with flat top and an eagle on each side. Students' Common Room (former dining room):
painted ceiling with moulded and dentilled cornice; leaf-scroll ornament. Chimney piece
with marble fireplace and overmantel with baroque scrolls surmounted by lions, flanking
a phoenix on the pediment. In the centre a large relief of Campaspe's portrait by Apelles.
On each side of the fireplace and let into the wall is a small panel of scagliola, depicting
groups of figures. The house is approached on the east by a long avenue of lime trees.
Of the 4 original avenues, 2 others remain on the north and south; all pre-date the house
and are thought to have been planted by Sir Jacob Bancks, a native of Stockholm, who
came to live in England in 1681 , and built an earlier house on the site.

V.C.H. Vol.III. p.153 B.O.E. (Berkshire) p. 150. C.L. March 5th 1938 and March 12th 1938.

Listing NGR: SU8334881883

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17530179

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

• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper