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8 Oct 2013

What Country House?

Rosa. This is an informal but relevant post (I hope!); it involves a quiz question though.  Which country house, that you may have glimpsed recently, is described here in the EH listing, Those of us doing Kerry's courses are gaining the ability to interpret and understand this technical linguage.

House. Circa 1800 with c.1820 additions. Possibly by Charles Harcourt Masters
of Bath. Ashlar with slate roofs. Classical style with neo-Classical porches.
Entrance front of 2 storeys, 13 bays: 5 bay slightly advanced central pedimented
block, lower flanking wings with advanced pedimented end bays. Centre block has
round-headed openings to ground floor, straight headed above. At time of
resurvey (May 1985) these were being refenestrated with 6 pane sashes. Flanking
wings have C19 casements, end bays have Venetian windows to ground floor (that to
east blocked) and tripartite openings above, all with C19 casements. Greek Doric
tetrastyle porch with ironwork balcony above. Venetian doorway with 8 raised and
fielded panel door and reveals, patterned fanlight. Moulded cornice, plain
parapet, ashlar stacks with terracotta pots. 2 storey and 1 storey service
additions to left hand. Garden front of similar design but with 2 semi-circular
bows to centre block with distyle Ionic porch between and balcony above. End
bays have tripartite windows to ground floor with consoles to entablature and vase 
and swag friezes. Interior. Entrance Hall with 3 bay coupled Tuscan column
arcade, oval domed stairwell. Several fine chimney pieces. Grounds laid out by
C.H. Masters c.1800. (R. Cooke, West Country Houses, 1957).

First correct answer wins a slice of carrot cake.

6 comments:

  1. I think the clue is in the prize...I think I'm probably disqualified so I'll leave it to others to guess!

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    Replies
    1. The clue is in the prize!? Now trying to think of a country house which has parallels with carrot cake....!

      Delete
  2. Carrot country house? Hmm. It's not Dyrham Park is it?

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  3. With the help of some course mates, the carrot cake reference is becoming all too obvious.
    Is it....Harptree Court....?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Congratulations, Rosa. Harptree Court is a superb example of those country houses that survived the 20th Century cull. I am a regular Monday and Tuesday attender at present if you are available for cake presentation!

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