Snelsmore House, Shaw cum Donnington, West Berkshire

Possibly Edgar Wood - Historic England

SHAW CUM DONNINGTON SU47SE SNELSMORE COMMON 14-0/4/10009 Snelsmore House II House. Circa 1905 [possibly by Edgar Wood] rebuilding of a circa early C19 house; extended 1950. English, Flemish and header bond red brick with tile dressings; service wing painted brick. Flat roof now clad in felt; slate roofs to wings. PLAN: Principal rooms on the east garden front with a long axial stairhall behind with an entrance vestibule and loggia to an almost detached porch to the west; service wings to north and west incorporate an early C19 house; west wing extended in 1950. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical elevations with flat roof concealed behind parapets with tile courses. West front has two large 5-light mullion-transom windows to hall and stair and five small first floor Windows, all with tiled heads. Almost detached porch at higher level on right with hipped tiled roof with timber posts on brick wall and with wrought-iron gates to steps leading down to arcaded loggia with tile arches and doorway with plank door. Lower wing to left with two canted oriels and 1950 extension on west end. South side has triangular bay window on left with south side of porch to its left and lateral stack in the angle with a large 2-storey canted bay on the right SE comer. The east garden front has large 2-storey semi-circular bay at centre with canted 3-light windows set back within the reveals on either side of the stack rising from the parapet with small consoles and stone tablet with wreath; 3,4 and 6-light mullion windows, the first floor with transoms and glazed garden door on right with small arched light above; to right of door the house steps down to single storey with balcony above with wrought-iron balustrade. The service wing is set back on right and has later conservatory in the angle and set back again to right with canted central bay, late C20 sun-room on front and splayed rear NW comer. All the windows have metal casements with leaded panes. INTERIOR: The early C20 interior is largely intact and the joinery is complete. The hall has dado panelling and a Jacobethan style open-well staircase with an arcaded balustrade and tall newel finials. Large drawing room also has dado panelling, moulded plaster frieze and beams and inglenook in semi-circular bay with wide segmental tile arch and corbelled brick fireplace between the windows with tapered chimney-breast with tile strings. The chambers have small chimneypieces. The service wing also has its joinery including some early C19 panelled doors. NOTE: It was the property of the Earl of Ronaldsay in the C19 and depicted on the 1880 OS map as a smaller house called Island Villa. The 1912 shows it as a larger house and now called The Durnalls and in 1933 it was sold by the Marquess of Zetland [Dundas family]