Denford Park, Kintbury - Hungerford Virtual Museum

Denford Park, Kintbury, Berkshire
4. The Main Buildings: Discussion & Phasing
4.1 Phase One: The Wyattville Villa, Circa 1815
The historical evidence indicates that there was no dwelling on the site of Denford
House prior to it being chosen by William Hallett for a new house to replace the older
one close to the Kennett in the valley. It is possible that one of the reasons for
choosing a new site was the opening of the Kennet & Avon Canal and the possibility
of less privacy that could result, but equally it may simply have been a wish for a
more fashionably isolated and secluded site with views, set in a larger parkscape.
There seems to be no doubt that the new house was designed by the fashionable
architect, then still simply Jeffrey Wyatt. An account of the Windsor work -
Illustrations of Windsor Castle by the late Sir Jeffry Wyatville RA - was published by
one of his former assistants, Henry Ashton in 1841; in it he included a list of his
former mentor's works and this includes Denford house for William Hallett circa
1815.
The new house was not large and in many ways was more akin to a villa than a
country house. Such houses, though considerably varied in size and status, had
become quite common in the higher echelons of Georgian society and it is likely that
Denford alternated as a residence with Hallett's town house in London.
The style chosen was neo-classical but probably not quite as severe as it later became;
the building was faced in Bath stone ashlar, almost certainly brought along the newly
opened canal. It seems originally to have consisted of the Main House (Building A)
and the Service Wing (Building C) to the east, the two being connected by a narrower
link block that was subsequently replaced by the present East Wing (Building B2) in
1939.
The Main House was taller than the service wings, emphasising its pre-eminence in
the complex. Although the layout was fashionably asymmetric, the main body of the
house was not.
It was virtually square in plan and of two piles and two storeys. Structurally divided
into three main bays by lateral cross walls, the middle bay was 'pushed' southwards
slightly - resulting in a recessed entrance on the north front and a projecting
centrepiece on the garden front to the south.
The portico and the composition of the entrance itself seem to be of a different design
than the rest of the primary structure and include a different type of stone, possibly
Portland. There are also some structural anomalies between the entrance and the
flanking masonry (see above). It is thus possible that this was the result of a later
alteration, but the documentary evidence is lacking.
If changes were made it is likely that they were part of the alterations to Denford
known to have been undertaken in the 1830's by Papworth. These also included
changes to the main bow-fronted room on the ground floor and it is just possible that
he added that bow as well - but probably not.
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Richard K Morriss & Associates, Historic Buildings Consultants, Bromlow House, Bromlow, Shropshire, SYS OEA