Details
SU 66 NW
3/43
25.10.51
SULHAMSTEAD
SULHAMSTEAD HILL (West Side)
Folly Farmhouse And Entrance Court To East
G.V.
I
Farmhouse now house. Circa 1650, enlarged by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1906 in a
free William and Mary style and again in 1911 in a Neo Venacular style. North
wing: C17 and 1914. Red brick, timber framed with red brick nogging and plaster
panels, and old tile roof. 3 framed bays, that to right of 1914. East front:
1 storey to right and 2 storeys to left. Hipped eaves dormer to rear with 2-
light casement. Large mullioned and transomed window to right, 2 first floor
2-light casements to left, and 2 ground floor 3-light casements flanked by 2-light casements; panelled door between first and second windows from left with C18 carved architrave and Console brackets supporting cornice. East block: grey brick with red brick and ashlar dressings, and hipped old tile roof. H-plan. South front: one storey centre with 2 storey wings. Gauged window heads, ground floor window aprons, chainage, chamfered quoins, plat band, 2 central ridge stacks on wings with arched panels, and stack and 2 hipped semi dormers to rear. 3 bay centre with 2 bay wings. 3 tall central segmental headed 6-light mullioned and transomed leaded windows, and 2-light leaded casements in wings. 2 bay return fronts with 2-light leaded casement to north, first floor blind circular windows to south, and glazed doors beneath with moulded architraves, central uncarved blocks above, pulvinated frieze, and cornice. East front: central first floor 2-light leaded casement with louvred shutters, ground floor 2-light leaded casement to left, and central doorway with moulded architrave, blank panel above, and off-set door behind. West block: red brick, some first floor tile hanging to
left, weatherboarded gable end to south, and old tile roof with catslide over
loggia to south-east. Irregular T-plan with circular dairy to north. 1½ and
2 storeys. 2 hipped dormers with 2-light leaded casements to south and one
to east; large 2 storey hipped canted bay to west consisting of battered ground
floor with arches to north and south, and open first floor with balustraded
sleeping balcony; large stack adjoining sleeping balcony to north with central
rectangular dummy shaft flanked by 2 diamond shafts. South front: square pool
courtyard to right consisting of L-shaped loggia with battered piers, 4 bays to
right with glazed doors behind, and 3 bays in left-hand return front with 2-
light casements behind and round arch at south-end; projecting square porch in
angle, and steps into pool at north-west and south-east corners; 2 storey canted
bay in left-hand gable end with leaded mullioned and transomed windows. Entrance
Court: approximately 10 metres square. Red brick panelled walls with tiled coping, approximately 3 metres high. Central semi-circular arches to north, south and west with segmental relieving arches, and tiled spandrels; arch to west has gate with radial fanlight. Wall extended to north-east to connect with barn (q.v.) Interior:1906 block: central double-height hall with coved ceiling and first floor balcony at each end and fireplace to north; drawing room with arched glazed cupboards flanking fireplace; 1912 block: dining room with frescoes by Sir
William Nicholson, and very large chimneypiece; panelled library. Free Arts &
Crafts fittings throughout. Gardens designed by Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll.
R. Gradidge, Edwin Lutyens Architect Laureate London, 1981. See also Edwin
Lutyens, exhibition catalogue Hayward Gallery, London, 1981. B.0.E. (Berks),
pp. 231-2; County Life Vol.Ll,Jan. 28, 1922, pp. 112-119, and Feb 4, 1922,
pp.146-153.
Listing NGR: SU6308368919
