Details
STUDLEY HARDWICKE LANE
SP06SE (East side)
4/217 Studley Castle
11/12/69 (Formerly listed as Studley
(Castle) College, Castle Road)
- II*
Shown on 0.S. map as Marketing Centre (Motor Industry).
Country house, now offices. 1834, with early C20 wing. Designed by Samuel
Beazley for Sir Francis Goodricke, baronet. Limestone ashlar with moulded stone
string courses and cornices. Slate roofs behind parapets; ashlar stacks. Complex
U-plan with central keep tower. Neo-Norman and Gothic Revival style, with
4-centred arches and Gothick sashes and casements. Largely symmetrical, 3-storey
wings, 2-storey central range, 4-storey keep; 11-window range. Central range has
slightly projecting 3-Say gabled centre with deeply recessed Tudor blank arch,
diagonal buttresses and tourelles. Arched porte-cochere with hood mould and
octagonal clasping buttresses continued up as finials. Mounting block in paving
beneath. Entrance has wide glazed arch with arched hall-glazed double-leaf doors
and panels. Intrados with plaster ogee niches. Lancets an each floor. 2-centre
arched central window with Y-tracery. Remainder of central range has buttresses,
square on ground floor, polygonal an first floor., Moulded cornice and parapet.
Arched windows with hood moulds, most with Gothick sashes. First bay has
half-glazed double-leaf doors. Octagonal Neo-Norman keep above and behind
central range. 4 large 3-storey round angle projections. Corbel table. Lantern
top has round-arched windows of 2 arched lights with hood moulds and head stops,
and shafts with scalloped capitals. Machicolated top. Far-projecting wings have
4-stormy octagonal corner turrets; left wing has shaped gable. Turrets have
anqle buttresses to ground floor. Lancets to alternate laces. String courses.
Top stage with blind cross openings and machicolated tops. 2-storey, 2-light
stone mullioned and transomed canted oriel, corbelled out. Right wing has
double-leaf arched door with overlight and square headed windows, blind on left,
flanking oriel. Inner sides of wings are 4-window range. Straight-headed windows
on upper floors. Left return side of 3 bays with corner turrets. Projecting
gable centre has polygonal buttresses. Arched Gothick windows. Central window in
inched recess. Canted oriel on first floor. Gable has blocked 2-centred windows
with Y-tracery. Some C20 windows inserted. Rear of wing has gable and turrets.
Two arched lights and canted oriel. Garden front has central 2-storey gabled
wing projecting forward from keep. Wide canted bay window. 3-light window above,
Canted re-entrant angles have lancets. To left and right canted bays with blind
arcaded parapets. Left range also has 2-light window, Ground floor windows have
stone tracery. First floor has 3 two-light windows to left and right, and
polygonal angle buttresses. Gabled right return side has round floor canted bay.
2-light window above. Service wing, set back on left, has early C20 additions
and alterations. Irregular C20 fenestration, ending in giant blank lancet with
2-light staircase window with 5 transoms. Brick additions to top. Early/mid C20
red brick wing on left. Tile roof. 3 storey and attick with hipped dormers;
10-window range. End bays varied. Thin wood mullioned 2-light windows with
leaded lights. Ground floor has 4-light mullioned and transomed windows, with
brick buttresses between. interior: Plaster rib-vaulted entrance hall. Central
octagonal hall to full height of keep. Painted Neo-Norman chimney-piece has
round arch with chevron and bailhead decoration, and truncated shafts, with
blind arcading of round arches above. Romanesque style grotesque masks. Wooden
first floor gallery supported on 4-centred arches with heavy pendants. Gothic
balustrade. Above, niches to each wall, one with classical statue. Moulded
string course with angels. Lantern windows have coloured glass. Ceiling, has
coats of arms on glass, much restored late C20. Dining Room to right has timber
raise hanmer beam roof with arcided spandrels and moulded rib. Carved head
corbels. Panelled ceiling. Black marble Gothic fireplace has detached piers and
4-centred arch. Archway to bay window. Octagonal room in centre of garden front
has plaster rib vault. with foliage boss. Arcaded walls. Gothic panelling and
bookcases. Drawing Room on left has 3-bay shallow rib-vaulted ceiling with
enriched and gilt ribs. Gilt stiff-leaf corbels. Arcaded walls, with large
overmantel mirror. Enriched ceiling panels and niches at each end. White marble
Gothic chimneypiece has 4-centred arch and piers with niches. Open well
staircase with cast iron Gothic balustrade and moulded handrail. Gothic arched
and arcaded doors throughout. Samuel Beazley (1786-1851) was best known far
theatrical work.
(Buildings of England: Warwickshire, p.424; Burke's & Savill's Guide to Country
Houses: Hertfordshire, Shropshire, Worcester and Warwickshire, pp.176-77).
Listing NGR: SP0881064074
