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Many thanks to Compton Hospice and their Estate Manager for
permission to enter and photograph.
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Listing: Locally Listed, approved March 2000.
Substantial house, designed and built by William Butler, a local brewery owner,
in 1871.
Comment: The brewery which Butler owned was the
Springfield Brewery, which was later owned by Mitchells and Butler and is now
empty and awaiting a new use. The proposition that William Butler actually
designed and built this house needs substantiation.
The house is large, with an air of stolidity much enhanced by
the stone windows. The interior retains many high quality features. Until
recently it was very well maintained as the offices of a local company. In
2001 Compton Hospice moved in, using the house as offices and training centre.
They too are taking great care of it. The large gardens appears to follow
the original form, with a wide variety of trees and shrubs, in typical Victorian
collector's style.
For the benefit of the architectural ceramics enthusiast, here
are two pictures of a tiled hallway.
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Note that this is not the main entrance but a
back way in. It reflects on the quality of the building that this
floor is not made of tiles in mosaic pattern but is actually a mosaic.
There are also fine plastered ceilings, very good fireplaces, stained
glass, staircase, etc.. It is interesting that even what must have
been the servants' quarters are of a very good standard. |
| In the garden there is an observatory, on which we hope to
have more here in due course. Behind the house is what seems to be
another house but which on inspection turns out to be a large cellar
with a large single room above it. Apparently the upper room was
well equipped with water supplies but nothing else is known about it.
Could it have been built for William Butler to conduct home brewing or
experimental brewing? |
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