History

The medieval house was fortified and was an outstation of Chepstow Castle, but all that remains of this is the probably C14 entrance tower. The rest of the then existing building was demolished in the early C18 apart from the relatively new William and Mary Wing, and the Queen Anne wing was then built, this must be in c1710. Itton was sold to the Jeffrys in 1710 and this work must be theirs. In 1749 it was purchased by the Curres who then held it until the last Lady Curre died in 1956. Edward Curre (1855-1930), who inherited in 1868, had the major extensions by Guy Dawber built in 1890- 1910, there are definitely two campaigns since the Billiard Room wing is certainly added to an existing late Cl9 building; although the Billiard Room is itself said to be 1894 and the Long Gallery, known as the Front Hall, was made out of three existing rooms in the same year. In 1888 Sir Edward Curre married Augusta Selina Crawshay Bailey of Maindiff Court (1866-1956). On her death the estate was left to the Order of St John of Jerusalem, the farms were then sold off and the house divided up as now.

Exterior

This is an extremely complex house of several periods which is built mainly of squared limestone rubble with Bath stone dressings, Welsh slate roofs and lead flats. There is one formal ashlar front in Bath stone (Queen Anne Wing), the north west walls and the inner courtyard are rendered and painted, some chimneys are rendered, and the service court is mostly in red brick. There is an open entrance courtyard; an enclosed courtyard entered through the mediaeval gateway, a south wing and a service courtyard on the north. The building is currently in nine residences:-
Itton Court No 1 (the medieval part and the south wing)
William and Mary Wing Nos 1-3
Queen Anne Wing
Oriel Wing
Itton Court North Nos 1-3 (service court and old butler's house)
At resurvey the south and west fronts with the entrance courtyard and the inner courtyard, the roofs and the interior of Itton Court No 1 were inspected.
The entrance courtyard, which is the Oriel Wing on the north and the old part of the house (No 1) on the east, is in the Tudor style, but only the entrance tower is actually medieval, probably Cl4, the rest is 1895-1910. Square three storey entrance tower with pointed arch and timber double doors, 2-light window above, stair slits on the left, battlemented parapet on machicolations, taller stair turret to the left. L-shaped two storey Oriel Wing with mullion-and-transom leaded windows, two canted oriels on the upper floor, cill string, battlemented parapet. Taller stair window in the L with two transoms. Two timber framed gables in the angle. Single storey wing to left. South wing to right of the tower (No 1), five windows with two storey canted bay on the right hand end. This front has six different Tudor window types and a tall stack with an external flue. This wing then turns to the east at a lower level with the later billiard room wing, canted corner window with a gable and smaller battlements, otherwise similar in character. The internal courtyard has the William and Mary Wing on the north side. This is rendered and painted and has sash windows with glazing bars and small dormers in the roof. Backing onto the south east side is a discrete block which was added in the early C18, the Queen Anne Wing. This wing has a formal two storey and attic, seven bay facade with the three centre bays set forward under a pediment. Plat band between the storeys. Nine over nine pane sashes to the windows except the first floor centre one. Central doorway with half glazed double doors, pedimented hood on brackets over this. The window above the door has paired arched lights, this is likely to be a Victorian alteration. Six 4-light gabled dormers, the inner ones set behind the pediment. Roof hipped overall with two large stacks. This facade has only been inspected at distance. There is no rear elevation to this block which backs onto the courtyard wing. The outer facades on the north and west sides have not been inspected, nor have the interior facades of the service court.

Interior

Only the interior of No 1 (the tower and old part) was inspected at resurvey. This is mostly Edwardian but in the Tudor style. It has been somewhat altered. There are two rooms with small fireplaces and a spiral staircase in the tower. The south wing has a panelled long gallery of Elizabethan type, this was apparently converted from three earlier rooms. This room has a ceiling with strip decoration and two stone fireplaces. The small sitting room beyond is also panelled and incorporates some C16 linenfold above the fireplace, this is said to have come from the demolished house, Wem-ddu. Plain bedrooms above. Large billiard room which was very grand when built as it was furnished in a Louis Quinze style.

Reasons for Listing

Included and highly graded as a country house begun in the medieval period and developed in the C17-early C20. There is important work surviving from all these periods, culminating in the extensions, with their fine interiors, designed by Sir Guy Dawber and built 1890-1910.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Itton Court at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q15228944

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

• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings