History

Said to have been built c1760 for John Powell but stylistically the existing building appears later. Picturesque villas of innovative design had been built earlier in the century (eg Roger Morris and William Kent) and there were architects in the mid C18 such as Robert Taylor developing the villa style but the window openings at Moor Park suggest the influence of John Nash who was active in this area c1800. It is conceivable that it began as a mid C18 Picturesque Gothic house and was remodelled c1800. Despite the uncertainty of the date the plan-form of this building is remarkable and clearly the work of an inspired owner and architect. Apparently the builder said that 'if a similar building could be pointed out within the kingdom, he would immediately destroy this'. A wing was added c1903 by H L Beckwith, at which time also horned sashes were inserted into the original openings.

Exterior

A mid-Georgian villa of 2 storeys with basement, and highly distinctive for its square plan with round towers at the angles. Behind is an early C20 2-storey S wing facing the garden, and a 2-storey N wing with an entrance front on the E side, forming an L-plan with a yard on the W side. Pebble-dashed walls, the villa on a plinth of limewashed rubble stone. The villa has conical slate roofs above projecting eaves and plain cornice, the S wing has a gabled roof, the N wing a hipped roof. Horned sash windows throughout.

The villa has tall stacks rising from the centre of each elevation (replaced in brick to N and S sides). The entrance front faces E and is reached by flights of stone steps to L and R. Glazed double entrance doors have a 3-pane overlight, above which is a small sash window to the upper storey. The towers have triple sash windows beneath recessed blind round-headed arches, with a smaller window beneath the eaves and 2-light small-pane basement windows. The N elevation has small sashes in each storey, the S elevation has a round-headed niche in the lower storey. Beneath the steps on the E side is a basement entrance within a small walled yard with replaced gates. A central round-headed doorway has a replaced door, and is flanked by an inserted doorway L and window R. In the side walls of the yard are barrel-vaulted recesses.

The N wing entrance front has a 2-storey bow window with horned sashes set back from the angle to R. In the upper storey are 4 equally-placed sashes. In the lower storey is a porch offset to L with 2 pairs of Doric pilasters and double half-lit doors. To the R of the porch is a paired sash window, to L of porch 2 similar sash windows.

The garden front on the S side of the S wing has a central ridge stack and an external stack to the L gable end. Set back from the angle to L is a 2-storey bow window, R of which are 4 sash windows in the upper storey, a 12-pane window to L in the lower storey and a French door offset to L under a 3-pane overlight. Further R the lower storey is open fronted with a doorway under a 3-pane overlight flanked by oval windows.

The rear elevations of the S and N wings have sash windows and an added conservatory in the courtyard. The N wing has an advanced bay L of centre under a hipped roof with ridge stack, with added single-storey projections in front and to L, and an added C20 window in the upper storey.

Interior

Four main rooms occupy the round towers and are planned around a central spiral stair with wrought iron balusters, leading to a circular 1st-floor gallery. Original service rooms are in the basement.

Reasons for Listing

Listed Grade II*, Moor Park is a fine example of the Georgian taste for small country villas, and is especially notable for its innovative plan form, which has no known parallels at this period.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17742830

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

• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: West (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)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback