Description

WIDCOMBE HILL
656-1/56/1905 (South side)
Crowe Hall
05/08/75

GV II

Large detached house in own grounds. On site of house of 1742, but mainly c1780, with early C19 entrance front, and internal restructuring after major fire in 1926.
MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar, slate roofs.
PLAN: Compact square main building, with double hipped roofs behind parapets, and porte-cochere to giant columns on north-east side, and symmetrical long front with bowed centre to south-west, facing extensive terraced gardens, attached to north-west end substantial service wing in matching style.
EXTERIOR: Two storeys with basement. Entrance has four wide-spaced unfluted Ionic columns to full entablature with blocking, and Doric pilaster responds, set well forward as open portico, over central pair of panelled doors with transom light in Roman Doric half-column doorcase, flanked by plain sashes with architraves and cornices on consoles and pilasters, sills on deep fluted brackets. Portico slightly stepped forward from side wings, with blind oculus with four keystones above arched recess in pilasters, both set to slight projection with separate blocking course. Slight plinth, mid entablature to two side wings, and lintel with frieze, cornice and blocking course, carried across full frontage and returned at ends. Short return to right has two twelve pane sashes above wide tripartite casement with stone mullions. Nine bay garden front has bold central full height bow, with three twelve pane sashes, flanked by three each side in first floor, above French casements with plain fanlight, each on two steps, with dividing blockings carrying stone urns. Mid-band and entablature returned from front. To right of bow ashlar stack. Left hand end late C19 conservatory, with stone piers to three bays with three light windows, and to front wide pair of small-pane glazed doors behind haunched arch, flanked by large twenty four pane casements. Return frontage, in detail as garden front, has four twelve pane at each level, and blind light above conservatory. First floor sashes all have louvred shutters. Service wing, set back, to left, and slightly lower than main range, in similar detail, with five above two twelve pane, door with transom light and hood on brackets, and deep recess over twelve pane, and basement area. Rear to this wing, facing entry, has twelve and sixteen pane sashes, and in short link to main range, twelve pane above door with fanlight and three very narrow sashes, above basement area enclose by iron railings. Outer end has three blind lights above three twelve pane.
INTERIOR: Not inspected. Former list refers to lavish internal decoration, with large central hall to cove and domed ceiling supported on Doric column screens each long side. Doddington type grand staircase, post fire. Other rooms contain Adamesque detail and fireplaces, some reset. Attached to frontage at left hand end ashlar wall with broad fluted pilasters and moulded coping, with short quadrant, and containing doorway with pulvinated frieze, and at right hand end short section of stone balustrade stopped to quadrant, with short return carrying horizontal console.
HISTORY: Very grand house, carefully restored and embellished. The property is named after the owner, Brigadier Crowe, c1770, and was acquired by the Tugwell family c1805, after which much modification was made; this family relinquished ownership in 1919. The extensive gardens (included on the English Heritage Register of Historic parks and Gardens. See Gardens Register) are set to steep slopes, and have many balustrades and garden ornaments, mostly of post 1950, but the main terrace with pool of late 1930's; there also remain an early grotto (qv) and carriage house (qv).
SOURCE: Stewart Harding and David Lambert, `Parks and Gardens of Avon' (1994), 87 & 114.

Listing NGR: ST7598463972

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Crowe Hall at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q15212079

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)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)