Burford House is an 18th-century country house in Burford, Shropshire, near Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, England. It now functions as a garden centre, cafe, garden and retail outlet.
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Built in 1728, it is a Grade II* listed building, built of red brick to a double-pile plan with a six-window three-storey frontage.[1] It stands in 3 hectares (7.5 acres) of ornamental gardens.
History
editThe estate of Burford, which had belonged to the Cornwall family since the Middle Ages, was sold in 1720 to William Bowles for £35,000. Bowles was the proprietor of the Vauxhall glassworks in Lambeth, London, the largest glass works in the country, and was Member of Parliament for Bridport and later for Bewdley.[2] He commissioned the building of the present house in 1728, extended the grounds and built a summerhouse (which is also listed Grade II*).[3]
From the 1860s Burford was the home of George Rushout, 3rd Baron Northwick, a descendant of the Bowles family. During his time the house was greatly extended by the addition of east and west wings, which were demolished in the 1950s.[4]
In 1954 the estate was purchased by Mr John Treasure and his brother, who demolished the added wings, completely replanted the gardens, and in 1958 opened the grounds to the public.[5]
Architectural details
editA country house in red brick with bands and a tile roof with coped gables and parapets. There are three storeys and a symmetrical front of six bays, a double-depth plan, and a rear parallel extension. In the centre is a projecting porch with Greek Doric columns and an open pediment, and above the doorway is a fanlight. The windows are sashes with gauged brick lintels. Brick garden walls extend from the southeast corner of the house.[6][7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Historic England. "BURFORD HOUSE AND GARDEN WALL ATTACHED TO THE SOUTH EAST (1383418)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- ^ "BOWLES, William (1686-1748), of Burford, Worcs". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- ^ Historic England. "GARDEN HOUSE 120 METRES NORTH WEST OF BURFORD HOUSE (1383419)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- ^ "The Grounds And Gardens Of Burford House". Discovering Shropshires History. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- ^ "Burford House, Tenbury Wells, Shropshire, England Record Id: 4997". Parks and Gardens. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- ^ Newman & Pevsner (2006), p. 187
- ^ Historic England & 1383418
Sources
edit- Newman, John; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2006), Shropshire, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, ISBN 0-300-12083-4