Denford Park, Kintbury - Hungerford Virtual Museum

DenfordPark. Kintburv. Berkshire
The architect chosen for the work on his new house was George Philip Banyard
FRIBA (1880-1948) of 4a Market Street, Cambridge. 44 Little is known about his
work; he warrants the briefest of entries in the standard RIBA Directory of British
architects (though admittedly that is only really concerned with works up to 1914) but
is also not mentioned in the relevant first edition 'Pevsner' for Cambridgeshire.
During the Second World War Thomas Hughes was Director of the Liner Division for
the War Transport Office and perhaps partly because of that work was created a
Baronet in 1942, using for the motto on his new coat of arms the appropriately
patriotic words 'Pro Deo Et Putrid 1 " 46
It is perhaps a little ironic that, had the remodelling of the house taken place after he
became Sir Thomas, he would have been able to more fully emulate George Cherry
and have his own crest - a ship's wheel - as well as the date on the hopper heads of
the new work.
r God and country.
P1.5: Harrison-Hughes coat of arms after Thomas was created a baronet.
However, like William Hallett over a century beforehand, Hughes did not stay at
Denford for long despite the works that he had undertaken there and appears to have
left shortly after the war. It is not clear why this was so, especially as the site seems
to have been perfect for the interests listed in his entry in Who's Who - farming,
orchids, fishing and shooting. 47
The death of his first wife, Mary Bradley, in 1949 may have had an impact, as
perhaps did the fact that their only child, a daughter, would have grown up and left
home. In addition, during the post-war period the acute shortage of building materials
for repair and the cost of various taxes could make large country house ownership an
onerous matter.
44 Brodie, A, Felstead, A, Franklin, J, Pinfield, L & Oldfield, J, 2001, Directory of British Architects
1834-1914, Vol.1, 106
45 Pevsner, N, 1954, The Buildings of England: Cambridgeshire
46 Hankinson, C F J, 1956, Debrett's Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage and Companiage, 455
47 Black, A & C (pub.), 1961, Who Was Who Vol. V, 1951-60,557-8
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Richard K Morriss & Associates, Historic Buildings Consultants, Bromlow House, Bromlaw, Shropshire, SYS OEA