Kingston Bagpuize House
Kingston Bagpuize House in Oxfordshire is very close to Benham Place and Ashdown House, and was originally built in 1660, at the same time as Ashdown House. It was updated in the 1720s to give it fashionable neo-classical trimmings, including a pedestal on the front, and wings, but it still has much of the character of a Restoration mansion, with its red brick and very tall windows. This photograph of what is now the rear of the house shows the original front. The interior has been very sympathetically furnished by the present owners, and contains a fine collection of Chinese porcelain, making it into a good example of the style of a Georgian house of the period of Elizabeth Craven. There is an impressive oak cantilevered staircase in the front hall. The portrait above the doorway is of Sir Walter Raleigh. The height of the ground floor windows means that the reception rooms are well lit. A family portrait from the 1790s hangs in the dining-room. The dining-room is l...