Moor Close Binfield, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

BINFIELD

SU87SW TERRACE ROAD SOUTH 674-1/11/97 (East side (off)) 08/04/99 Moor Close

GV II

Large house, now Hall of Residence and part of Newbold College. 1881, altered and extended in 1914, by Oliver Hill. MATERIALS: Red brick in English bond with decorative patterning in dark headers. Old tile roof, irregular with gables, Dutch gables and several hipped dormers. PLAN: Irregular plan with battlemented tower rising above the house. STYLE: Jacobethan style. EXTERIOR: part one and a half storeys, part 2 storeys, part 3 storeys. Several large decorative chimneys. Casement windows, mullion and transom windows, some with stone surrounds. Entrance (north-west) front: projecting wing on left, single bay with single dormer and single 4-light window on ground floor, 3-bay return on south-west has 3 dormers, two 7-light casement windows on ground floor with projecting entrance porch between. Entrance porch is of stone with segmental pediment and moulded stone base. Large plank entrance door of oak. Garden (south-west) front: irregular. Left hand section of 3-bays projects at right angles; with single bay end with Dutch gable and 3-light windows in stone surrounds. South-west return has 3 Dutch gables, three, 3-light windows in stone surrounds on first floor, 4-light, 2-light and 6-light windows on ground floor in stone surrounds. Centre section has 3 Dutch gables of different heights, left hand gable with 2-light attic window, other 2 gables with 3-light attic window. Ground and first floors have casement and mullion and transom windows of different sizes. On left small, single bay section slightly recessed with door on ground floor with overlights and sidelights. Another door near centre, flankedd by 3-light windows. On right large canted bay with 4 windows of 2-lights each on first floor and large mullion and transom windows on ground floor. All windows in this section have stone surrounds, except attic windows. On right is irregular section of one and a half storeys with 2 gables and one dormer, and 2 storeys with one gable, all with sash windows and carved bargeboards. This section appears to be unaltered. INTERIOR: Oliver Hill's interior work remains almost unaltered in the ground floor principal rooms; the first floor, although altered, retains cornices in many rooms. Oak lounge: in Jacobethan style with wall panelling, large exposed ceiling joists and principal beam. Large fireplace on one wall with large stone surround and decorative keystone. Leading up from the north-west corner of the room is a large dog-leg staircase in Jacobethan style with shaped balusters, moulded handrail, moulded dropped finials, and large square newels with moulded caps. Lounge: L-shape in Rococo style. Wall panel mouldings with bamboo and leaf ornament; moulded skirtings; moulded ceiling cornices enriched with acanthus leaf and waterleaf ornament; Corinthian pilasters. On the south-west wall, gilded shell niche with moulded architrave and an alabaster scroll keystone. Chapel (former library): on 2 levels; upper level contains deep Greek frieze, lower level coffered ceiling with deep, chamfered, wooden ribs. House forms very picturesque composition with garden which was also designed by Oliver Hill. Alterations to house made after garden was complete to obtain best views of garden. Garden features are listed separately (qqv), and garden included as Grade II in Register of Parks and Gardens. (Register of Parks & Gardens of Special Historic Interest: Part 3 : Berkshire).