Description

AYMESTREY CP LEINTHALL EARLS
SO 46 NW

2/8 Gatley Park

11.6.59

GV II*

Country house. 1630s for Sir Sampson Ewer, extended and restored 1894-
1907, partly by J D Coleridge. Brick with some stone dressings on a
coursed rubble plinth with stone tile roofs. 1630s block square plan
with a central stack which has nine octagonal brick shafts, extended to
north-east and south-west by wings in C19. North-west front: main block
set forward of later wings is of two storeys with attic lit by 3-light
casements in two stone coped gables with ball finials (the left-hand
gable is a C19 restoration). The central projecting porch has a C19
pierced strapwork stone parapet, brick quoins and band. This main block
also has brick quoins and band. 1 + 1 + 1 windows, the outer two of four
lights, the central one of three lights, all C19 with segmental heads.
The central entrance has a segmental arch with a stone cartouche of arms
set in a small niche above. The entrance has a wooden architrave with
Doric pilasters, and a two-leaf C17 studded door. Extensions to left and
right are in a similar style of irregular design. The range to left con-
tains the service rooms and a billiard room. Interior of porch lined with
C17 oak panelling, inner door has a moulded and stopped frame with a four-
centred arch under a square head, with foliated spandrels and decorative
strap hinges. Entrance hall fills whole width of C17 block, but was
originally two rooms, stone fireplace to left of centre has moulded jambs
and four-centred head. The three-bay overmantel, divided by pilasters,
has three arcaded panels. The cast iron fire back is dated 1639. Sitting
room (to south corner) has early C18 painted bolection moulded panelling.
The C17 stone fireplace has chamfered jambs and a four-centred head, with
a cast iron fireback inscribed "SE/ 1637" (the 3 is reversed). The over-
mantel contains an early C18 painting of the house in its landscape, with
a fox hunt in the foreground. The staircase in the room to the east corner
of the house-is C19 on the ground floor. Above this level it is of well-
form with heavy turned balusters, moulded rails and newels with moulded
terminals. Main front bedroom has a bolection moulded fireplace with two-
panel overmantel, pilastered with enriched frames to the panels. To west
corner of first floor rising to attics is a newel staircase with solid oak
treads, which originally reached the ground floor. (RCHM, 3, pp 11-12, no 3;
BoE, p 221; Reid, P: Burke's and Savill's Guide to Country Houses, Vol II,
Herefordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, 1980, pp 29-30)o

Listing NGR: SO4488068462

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Gatley Park at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17537233

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

• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)