Neo-Classical Mansion

This new house, of some 25,000sqft, replaces a modest farmhouse at the centre of a large parcel of land in a prominent Cotswold location. Standing in 379 acres of parkland with views across the rolling Cotswolds, the 18th-century-style mansion was built at a farm near Winchcombe, Gloucestershire and boasts 11 bedrooms & servants’ quarters, six reception rooms, a Harry Potter-style ‘Grand Hall’, stables and a tennis court.

Behind the classical façade lie some very modern trappings, including an underground cinema & swimming pool, games room, gun storage area and wine cellar!

The original house was built in the 1820s by Edward Sheppard, a wealthy clothier, and later became a hotel and residential care home. It fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1934. The estate was bought after the Second World War and the owners commissioned Yiangou Architects, a Gloucestershire-based architectural practice, to design a home in the same style as its predecessor.

One of the most fascinating elements of this prestigious development of a brand new, neo-classical mansion , was a bespoke floor scheme, based on a design spotted by the architect of Yiangou Architects, whilst on holiday in Scotland. The project was inspired by “classical country house tradition, picking up references to architectural details found in some of the best 18th-century country houses in the land” says Yiangou Architects.

The lead architect on the project, said: “This is certainly the first building of this scale in the Cotswolds for at least 100 years. We wanted it to look and feel like a modern, contemporary home whilst keeping with the classical tradition of the site. “The Government is now quite strict about building contemporary houses so the chance to build a country house in classical style has all but disappeared. Thankfully the local planning department said yes.”

The house incorporates design features found in several English stately homes, including window and door surrounds from Castle Howard in North Yorkshire, the grand staircase at Doddington House in Gloucestershire and the parapets of Easton Neston in Northants.

The size and splendour of the rooms allows for bathrooms on a grand scale and have installed some of our grandest and most dramatic designs including the Mull Shower. Handmade using traditional methods, our collections are as much at home in contemporary settings as in Stately Homes.

The Baby Ness cast iron bath was chosen as it is designed for a marble surround and sits under the marble surface. Its rounded ends make for a deeply comfortable bathing experience in this luxury bathroom. Similar marble top was used to dress our elegant Double Lowther Vanity Suite. This was a wonderful project that drew on Artisans of Devizes’ full range of natural stone craftsmanship.