A Classical House in Oxfordshire

Although this is an old house, our work has been so extensive here that we present it as a new project. This renowned house is a Grade II listed former rectory in a fine setting in the Chilterns, near Henley-on-Thames.

During a phased building programme lasting four years, and completed in 2015, we built two substantial new wings to the original house, transforming it into a major country house. To the east are a new orangery pool building, garage range and outbuildings.

The facade of the house had been remodeled in the 1980s by the classical architect Quinlan Terry. Terry’s Portland stone and flint extravaganza was retained and modified, with a new stone door surround. Two new wings faced in Portland stone form an enclosed entrance court. Behind the facade, existing rooms were demolished to create a grand double-height hall.

Throughout, an exceptionally high standard of architectural detailing and craftsmanship has been achieved. We were responsible for every last detail of the interiors which may be viewed here.

Details

Location
Oxfordshire

Date
2006-2016

A classic country house

This is the initial design for a beautiful site in Cheshire. Our clients had expressed a strong interest in the architecture of Belton House, the famous country house near Grantham in Lincolnshire, and together we designed a contemporary reinterpretation of a classic H-shaped house with a central hall and two flanking wings.

The entrance front, facing parkland and a lake, is in stone, with side elevations and the garden front in a softer red brick and stone. To the side is a flanking service wing. We worked with the renowned landscape designer Jinny Blom on the setting of the building within pleasure gardens and a wider parkland estate plan.

The planning application, for a replacement dwelling within the Green Belt, would have been under the Paragraph 80 ‘Exceptional Country Houses’ approach, but following significant discussions with officers, and with our clients, we have designed a smaller house with a less imposing architectural character for resubmission in 2023.