The brick mansion of the late 17th century was radically remodelled in 1804–09 in a fashionable neoclassical style.
The impulse for the transformation came from the young owner Henry Drummond (1786–1860), whose grandfather, a successful banker, had purchased the house from the Henley family. Rich and impulsive, he wanted to transform his family's house in the latest architectural style, emulating the classical design of Greek buildings.
In 1808, Drummond commissioned his friend William Wilkins (1778–1839), a promising young architect and antiquary, to redesign his house. Wilkins had been much influenced by his recent travels to Greece and Asia Minor. He modelled the magnificent temple front of the house on a temple in Athens known as the Theseion, and adapted another monument, the Choragic Monument of Thrasyllus, for the side elevation.
He clad the house in Roman cement, a very hard render made from ground flint. The overall design is based on the severe and undecorated Doric architectural order. Cockerell, who designed the conservatory 15 years later for the Baring family, chose the more intricate Ionic order.
Disclaimer
The text and pictures on this page are derived from the 'Heritage Unlocked' series of guidebooks published in 2004. We intend to review, update and enhance the content in the near future as part of the Portico project, whose objective is to provide information on the history, significance, research background and sources for all English Heritage properties.
