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FARNBOROUGH SP4349 16/2 Farnborough Hall 07/01/52 (Formerly listed as Farnborough Hall including Garden House)

GV I

Country house. Late C17 for William Holbech; remodelled c.1745-1750 for William Holbech the younger, probably by Sanderson Miller. Plasterwork by William Perritt. Ironstone ashlar with grey limestone ashlar dressings. Slate mansard hipped roof.Ashlar ridge stacks. U-plan. Remodelled in Palladian style. 2 storeys and attic; 2-5-2 bays. North and west fronts have splayed plinth, string course and quoins and modillion cornice. High parapet with balustrading of c.1750 to each bay throughout. Recessed centre; wings project one bay. Half-glazed panelled door. Pedimented Roman Doric doorcase of half-columns and pilasters; metopes have bucrania and rosettes. Chamfered 2-light mullioned basement windows, mostly blocked. Sashes in moulded architraves with consoles and cornice. Inner sides of wings have round-headed niches with similar architraves. Lead rainwater heads. Remaining one-bay section of similar, lower service wing, set far back on left. West front of c,170i, of 3-1-3 bays. Centre projects slightly. Sliding sash door. Architrave with segmental pediment. Late C18 sashes have thin glazing bars. Moulded stone architraves with keystones throughout. Pedimented dormer above balustrade has shouldered architrave. Fine late C17/early C18 decorated lead rainwater heads. South front of 1-5-1 bays. No string course. Centre has sliding sash door in shouldered architrave and pediment on consoles. Windows have balustrading below. First floor has square 6-pane sashes. Outer bays have 12-pane sashes. Plain stone architraves with cornices. One bay section of service wing slightly recessed on right. Half-glazed door. Tripartite sash above. Interior: the very fine Palladian Entrance Hall of c1750, formed to incorporate William Holbecb's collection of antique and contemporary classical sculpture, is one of the earliest of these rare schemes. Marbled stone fireplace with consoles and Rococo frieze. Overmantel with pilaster strips and copy of a Panini painting. Broken pediment with head of Roman boy. Large moulded niches to left and right have imposts and keystones. Oval medallion portraits of a Severan lady above. Mahogany 6-panelled doors with original fittings in moulded architraves with pulvinated frieze and cornice. Moulded oval niches housing busts, on elaborate plaster consoles between doors and as overdoors. Left: C2 head of boy. Left wall: C18 Emperor Caracalla; C18 warrior; early C3 Roman lady; Goddess. Right: C18 Septimus Severus. Right wall: Emperor Hadrian; antique head of a Roman; antique Marcus Aurelius; C3 head of elderly man. Front wall: head of Goddess; C18 medallion head of Socrates above window; head of Appollo between windows; Marcus Aurelius as a boy; medallion of bearded man between window and door; C2 head of a Roman above door. 2 Neoclassical medallions of a female figure and putto. Ceiling of octagonal and rectangular compartments with Rococo plasterwork and cartouches of Diana and Bacchus. Fine floor of light and dark flags, echoing ceiling compartments. Rococo Dining Room of c.1750, designed to incorporate views of Rome and Venice by Canaletto and Panini, is one of the earliest of such schemes. Marble fireplace with decorated pilaster strips and consoles. Overmantel with large eared picture frame. Broken pediment with black marble bust of philosopher. Large round-headed niche opposite has moulded cornice and broken pediment. Moulded 6-panelled mahogany doors in elaborately moulded eared architraves with vine-ornamented pulvinated frieze and broken pediments. Very fine plasterwork. 3 pairs of elaborately moulded plaster picture frames of differing designs. 2 windows in moulded architraves with Vitruvian scroll frieze and scrolled pediments. Wall panel has oval pier glass in elaborate frame with urns and large cornucopia. Four wall panels have elaborate trophies, with musical instruments on the window wall, and guns, bows etc. Library has Rococo fireplace. Oak open-well staircase and ceiling c.1695; lower flight replaced 1926. Redecorated c.1750. Fluted and turned balusters and moulded handrail, carved scrolled open string, and dado of bolection-moulded panels. Moulded doorcases. Fine Rococo plasterwork. Acanthus string course with central ram's heads. 3 walls have large projecting panels with elaborately moulded eared architraves and scrolled pediments with central motif. Each panel has a plain oval niche and moulded console, similar to Entrance Hall, housing a bust. Left wall has early C3 Roman lady; centre: Emperor Lucius Verus; right: early C2 head of a lady. Landing has similar panel. Flanking 6-panelled doors in moulded architraves. Moulded archway with keystone to left. Late C17 moulded 8-panelled door to right. Oval skylight has very rich high relief wreath. Corner panels with arms and intials of William and Elizabeth Holbech. Skylight has 4 panels of Rococo plasterwork and paterae. C19 coloured glass. The Holbech family have lived at Farnborough Hall since 1692. (G. Jackson-Stops: Farnborough Hall: National Trust Guidebook; Buildings of England: Warwickshire: pp.292-293; Gordon Nares: Farnborough Hall: Country Life 11 and 18 February 1954).

Listing NGR: SP4307349413