Architecture Wednesday: Wiltshire’s Wingfield House

Defined by its classical proportions, this handsome four-bedroom house is located in the bucolic village of Wingfield, Wiltshire. Built in the early 18th century this sizeable country residence was converted into four dwellings in the 1940s, of which Wingfield House forms the original portion.

A wonderful fusion of architectural styles, the interiors comprise early Georgian reception rooms and a fine Arts and Crafts ballroom, which was built as part of wider extensions in 1899. With fine, landscaped gardens spanning just over an acre, the house is complemented by a large external garage and a horticultural-grade greenhouse. 

Historical records from an 1861 bill of sale refer to the manor as ‘Winkfield House,’ which likely underwent a name change sometime before WWI. During the war, the manor was used as a military hospital. In the late 1940s, the property was divided into four separate dwellings, with Wingfield House occupying the oldest and original section of the building and retains the historical essence of the property.

The house is approached via a meandering, private driveway lined by well-established Beech hedges. A communal court is landscaped with a circular lawn and provides access to the main entrance to the house.

The foyer is a double-height entrance hall paved with wonderful York stone flags and color washed walls with a stone effect, and opens to the ballroom via an arched, glazed screen. This vast space features a timber barrel-vaulted ceiling, and a large inglenook with a segmental-arched opening and a Tudor-arched fireplace. Adjacent to the fireplace, a pair of trefoiled windows sit above a segmental arch that once housed an organ and there are large, glazed doors that open onto the formal lawns.

The entrance hall leads to the thirty-nine foot library hall—the oldest part of the house—with six floor-to-ceiling oak bookshelves, giving both open and closed storage options. It leads to the drawing room with views to the gardens and the room is finished in a vibrant shade of turquoise with a white marble fireplace dating back to 1760. Adjacent to the drawing room is a large kitchen and dining room with cream-painted cabinetry, wide, stripped timber flooring and an original limestone fireplace. The kitchen has been cleverly designed with integrated appliances, ensuring a seamless and cohesive look.

Ascending to the first floor via an early Georgian staircase with waist-height paneling and a delicate domed lantern above is the primary bedroom suite; this space has been meticulously crafted by the current owners featuring hand-made fixtures such as the Gothic-inspired doors, door casings and built-in seating in an oriel window. The room is finished in a stone effect paint and has a modern marble shower room cleverly concealed behind double wardrobe doors.

Adjacent to the primary bedroom is a handsome second bedroom flooded with natural light from three windows. At the end of the hall is a spacious family bathroom clad in marble and oak; above the bath is a bespoke mosaic frieze depicting doves and olive branches. The bathroom includes a vanity, WC, large linen store, and an original diamond lattice window.

On the top floor are two generously sized eaves bedrooms. The larger bedroom offers views of the private front and side gardens, while the second bedroom features an en suite with a shower, vanity, and WC.

While Wingfield does not have a train station, there are rail connections in Freshford, Avoncliff, Trowbridge and Bradford-on-Avon, with regular services to Bath, Bristol, and Weymouth on the Dorset coast. From Bradford-on-Avon, it’s a quick six-minute train to Bath Spa station, which provides a direct line to London Paddington in under 80 minutes.

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