Listed Building record MDO4898 - Eastbury House, Tarrant Gunville
Please read our guidance about the use of Dorset Historic Environment Record data.
Summary
Eastbury house is of two and three storeys, with walls mainly of ashlar and with slate-covered roofs. Originally the stable range to a mansion designed by Vanbrugh and constructed between 1717-38. The mansion was demolished between 1775-82 and the service wing converted to a country house. It comprises two parallel ranges.
Map
Type and Period (2)
Full Description
(ST 93211269) Eastbury House (NAT). <2>
EASTBURY HOUSE (93211270), of two and of three storeys, with walls mainly of Greensand ashlar and with slate-covered roofs is a surviving fragment of the splendid mansion designed by Vanbrugh for George Dodington and his nephew George Bubb, afterwards Lord Melcombe, and erected between 1717 and 1738. On Lord Melcombe's death in 1762 the house passed to Lord Temple who, unable to find either a buyer or a tenant for what then was considered an eyesore, demolished the greater part, between
c. 1775 and 1782.
The present house is formed from part of two parallel ranges, formerly stables, which stood on the N. of Vanbrugh's forecourt. Early in the 19th century the house was acquired by J. J. Farquharson, whose descendants still own it. From 1800 to 1805 it was occupied by Thomas Wedgwood, a son of the great potter. Other surviving elements of Vanbrugh's work include the arch on the W. of the former stable court, the main gateway of the park, the cellar under the octagonal 'Eating Room' on the E. of the former kitchen court, and earthwork remains of the former gardens. <1, 3>
Eastbury House. Service ranges to the mansion, now a country house. Grade I. <6>
Eastbury was Vanbrugh's largest country house excepting Blenheim and Castle Howard. <4>
A rapid examination of air photography <8.1> suggests the presence of a ditched feature with causeway, apparently aligned with the formal garden of Eastbury House, and thus probably part of the landscape park. <8>
The feature noted by source <8> appears to be marked on OS maps at ST 936 123 as a pecked ring (indicating a slight feature). <5>
Sources/Archives (13)
- --- SDO20690 Monograph: Cecil, David. 1985. Some Dorset Country Houses: A Personal Selection.
- <1> SDO17701 Scheduling record: DOE (HHR). 1954. List of Buildings of Special Historic or Architectural Interest: Blandford Rural District. 16.
- <2> SWX1540 Map: Ordnance Survey. Ordnance Survey Map 6in. 6 inch to 1 mile. 1963.
- <3> SDO99 Monograph: Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England). 1972. An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North). 90-3.
- <4> SWX1290 Monograph: Newman, J, and Pevsner, N. 1972. The Buildings of England: Dorset.
- <5> SDO17396 Map: Ordnance Survey. Ordnance Survey 1:10,000 scale map. 1:10000. 1983.
- <6> SDO17732 Scheduling record: DOE (HHR). 1985. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: North Dorset District. Oct 85, 16.
- <7> SWX1383 Monograph: English Heritage. 1984-1987. Register of parks and gardens of special historic interest in England: Dorset. Part 12.
- <8> SWX1708 Unpublished document: Miller, Andrew. 1993. RCHME: AP Primary Recording Project. 02-FEB-1993.
- <8.1> SDO19199 Aerial Photograph: National Monuments Record. NMR 4502: 10; NMR 4595: 20-3.
- <9> SDO14738 Index: Historic England. Historic England Archive. 882980.
- <10> SDO14738 Index: Historic England. Historic England Archive. RCH01/097.
- <11> SDO14739 Digital archive: National Record of the Historic Environment. 210282.
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
Location
| Grid reference | ST 9321 1270 (point) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | ST91SW |
| Civil Parish | Tarrant Gunville; Dorset |
| Unitary Authority | Dorset |
Protected Status/Designation
- Listed Building
- Registered Park or Garden 1000549: Eastbury
Other Statuses/References
- Legacy UID: Dorset Sites and Monuments Record: 2 057 002
- Legacy UID: National Monuments Record: ST 91 SW 75
- Legacy UID: National Record of the Historic Environment: 210282
- Royal Commission Inventory Reference: Tarrant Gunville 2
Record last edited
Apr 17 2024 11:54AM