Clouds House East Knoyle, England

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

EAST KNOYLE MILTON ST 83 SE (south side) 8/43 Clouds House 6.1.66 GV II* Country house, now nursing home. 1881-91 for Percy Wyndham by Philip Webb, altered 19-30s. Dressed limestone and ashlar, tiled hipped roof with brick and ashlar stacks. Large house built around central 2-storey hall, north entrance range demolished late 1930s and entrance now on west side, extensive services to east (q.v.) linked by long corridors. Eclectic style.Two-storey and attic, 10- window asymmetric entrance front. Nine-panelled door in Gibbs surround with sidelights in pilastered bay, to left of centre, 2 large 18-pane sashes in semi-circular headed panels to left, group of three to right, half-octagonal base of demolished bay and 18- pane sash at top of stone steps to right. First floor has double dentil plat band to left and centre, 12-pane sashes in recessed panels flanking chamfered mullioned casements in polychrome recessed arched panels lighting stairs, Lombardi frieze to right hand bay with mullioned casements. Attic storey altered 1930s, former gabled 3-storey bays removed and replaced by five tile-hung dormers behind parapet. Right return garden front has basement floor with mullioned casements, French windows to right with central projecting 2-bay round-arched loggia, principal floor has six 18-pane sashes either side of central pedimented doorway opening onto balcony over loggia, cast iron balustrade attached to octagonal pilasters. First floor has six 12-pane sashes with arched panels over Lombard frieze. Three 1930s dormers to attic. Rear has truncated half-octagonal bay to left, 18-pane sashes to principal floor, two to projecting bays, only one retains Webb's attic floor, first floor with sashes in deeply moulded recesses, 1930s parapet and dormers. Left return, truncated entrance front has small sashes and single-storey 1980s extension. Interior retains central hall in altered form; reduced in size to provide corridors and large fireplace removed, carved roof trusses remain to glazed roof. Open-well stairs from hall with panelled dado, fretwork balustrade, landing with richly carved screen, stair window with rere-arches on octagonal pilasters. Drawing room on south side little altered with rich plaster frieze, geometric plaster ceiling, classical fireplace, fitted cupboards with geometric glazing bars. Former billiard room has panelled fireplace overmantel. South east drawing room has panelled ceiling and plaster frieze. Joinery including window shutters and 9- panelled doors survive. First floor rooms retain fireplaces, including some with Delft tiles, panelled closets and cupboards, plaster lozenges to gallery dado. Basements with barrel vaulted ceilings, glazed brick walls. Despite 1930s alterations this remains an important house by Webb; during the Wyndhams occupancy it was associated with the intellectual group known as The Souls and was visited by political and artistic figures such as Balfour and Burne-Jones. The house costing £80,000 was finished 1886, the 1889-91 rebuilding following a fire in 1889 cost a further £35,000. (M. Girouard, The Victorian Country House, 1971; J. Franklin, The Gentleman's Country House and its Plan 1835-1914, 1981)

Listing NGR: ST8763630996