Listed Building record MDO13504 - Thornhill House, Thornhill, Stalbridge

A country house, built about 1730, with late eighteenth century and nineteenth century alterations. Built for, and probably designed by the painter Sir John Thornhill.

THORNHILL (74051497), house, some 2 m. S. of the church, is two storied with attics; the walls are rendered, with ashlar dressings and the roofs are stone-slated. The estate was purchased c. 1725 by the painter Sir James Thornhill and the present house was probably built by him. The N. front (Plate 197) is likely to have been his own design and he may also have been responsible for a carved wooden fireplace surround in the library (Plate 77). The paintings which he is said to have executed inside the house have disappeared. The house was much altered in the late 18th century, and again in the 19th century. <2>

The house was mostly rebuilt for Sir James Thornhill after he had bought back the ancestral estate, but some remains of the early 16th century house were incorporated. Four mullioned windows on the east were part of the Tudor House and the inner doorway is early 16th century. <3>
'Thornhill' name confirmed, remains as described <2> <3. and in a good state of repair. <4>

Thornhill House. Grade II*. <5,6>

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1900, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch two (Map). SDO11594.

(ST 74051498) Thornhill on site of (NAT) Mansion

<2> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 249-250 (Monograph). SDO136.

<3> DOE (HHR), 1951, DOE (HHR) Sturminster RD Dorset 1951, 25 (Scheduling record). SDO17667.

<4> Barrett, G, Various, Field Investigators Comments GB, F1 GB 14-AUG-78 (Unpublished document). SDO17369.

<5> DOE (HRR), 1984, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: District of North Dorset, 16a (Scheduling record). SDO17668.

Oct-1983

<6> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 422 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 202283 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 23 2022 10:05AM