British Listed Buildings

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Listing Text

SO 8463 OMBERSLEY CP -

9/70 Ombersley Court


25.12.52
GV I


Country house in landscaped park; seat of Lord Sandys. 1724-32 by
Francis Smith of Warwick for the first Lord Sandys; refaced and altered
by J Webb for the Marchioness of Downshire 1812/14; further mid-C20
alterations. Brick with stone dressings, refaced in ashlar, with ashlar
additions. Original house of two storeys and attic and seven bays with
north and south wings; Webb refaced this house, demolished the side wings
and built a new north wing to link the house with the new stables quad-
rangle (qv); this wing was demolished in the mid-C20. Present east front
elevation: three storeys with moulded cornice and blocking course, plinth
and sill bands to first and second floors; seven bays: 2:3:2, central bays
break forward; ground floor windows are 15-pane sashes, first floor windows
are glazing bar sashes and second floor windows are 6-pane sashes; ground
floor of central bays has tetrastyle portico of coupled Ionic columns;
central doorway has moulded architrave and part-glazed double doors.
Side and rear elevations are without specific ornamentation. Interior:
Access refused description based on written sources; very splendid,
retaining much of its early Georgian decoration and woodwork. Entrance
Hall: two storeys with gallery facing entrance and connecting upper rooms;
lower part has Ionic pilasters and blank niches; opposing stone fireplaces
surmounted by heraldic devices; ceiling divided into compartments with four
pendants in arches. Saloon: situated beside hall with windows facing west;
oak panelled with pilasters, fine door surround and marble chimney piece.
Dining room and rose boudoir to left and right of saloon also oak panelled,
with pilasters of different orders, marble fireplaces and all superbly
detailed. The main staircase is also of the Smith period, and is of oak
with handrail, treads and landings inlaid with walnut; open-well type,
each step has three balusters, two spirals with a fluted columnar one in
between, moulded tread ends, handrail and dado; above is a contemporary
plaster ceiling with oval moulding and rich modillion cornice. Chinese
Room: on first floor has painted silk panels framed with. imitation bamboo,
drapes and appropriate furnishings, fashionable during Regency. The house
is decorated throughout with a magnificent collection of paintings and
furnishings still owned by the Sandys family.
In the Court grounds are some remarkable specimen trees including two
immense Wellingtonias and the second largest European Larch in the
British Isles. (CL, cxiii, 34, 94, 152; VCH, BoE).


Listing NGR: SO8418963389

Source: English Heritage

Listed building text is © Crown Copyright. Reproduced under licence: PSI Click-use licence number C2008002006.