Listed Building record MDO13901 - Ranston, Iwerne Courtney or Shroton

A country house constructed in 1753 with additions of 1781. It was remodelled in 1961. Built on the site of an earlier house; some evidence of a seventeenth-century range was found during recent rebuilding. All but the eighteenth-century west façade has been substantially rebuilt, but these parts incorporate many earlier features. The walls of the building are ashlar and brick, and largely rendered, and it has a slate-covered roof. The record for this monument has been enhanced with support from Wessex Water.

ST 86291220 Ranston (NAT). <1>

Ranston, a country house with an 18th century west front and many original 18th century fittings reset in the present building, which is of recent construction. The estate belonged to the Ryves family from 1545 to 1781, after which it was bought by Peter William Baker, whose heirs still own it.

Ranston (name confirmed) was substantially remodelled in 1961, when the north and south wings were demolished. It retains the original west front which is outstanding.

Survey (1:2500) revised on AM. <5>

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 25 inch scale map, 1900 (Map). SDO18020.

<2> DOE (HHR), 1954, List of Buildings of Special Historic or Architectural Interest: Blandford Rural District, 7 (Scheduling record). SDO17701.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 1, 128 (Monograph). SDO146.

'(3) Ranston (86291220), a country house of medium size, stands in a park 400 yds. S.E. of the parish church and a short distance from the E. bank of the R. Iwerne. The estates belonged to the Ryves family from 1545 to 1781, after which it was bought by Peter William Baker, whose heirs still own it. The house has been wholly rebuilt in recent years except for the graceful 18th-century W. front, but many original 18th-century fittings have been reset in the new structure. It is of two principal storeys with basements; the walls are rendered, except for plinths, quoins and architectural features, which are of ashlar; the roofs are slated. A brick wall that formed part of the W. side of a 17th-century range was found underground during the recent rebuilding and is incorporated in the present basement; it includes the lower part of two two-light windows with chamfered stone jambs. A scrolled wrought-iron weathervane dated 1653, which formerly decorated a gable on the N. side of the house, probably belonged to the same building as the two windows. In 1753 the 17th-century house was enlarged to the W., a staircase, drawing-rooms and principal bedrooms being added; the new range was fronted by the formal W. façade which still exists. W. Watts (The Seats of the Nobility and Gentry, 1779, pl. VIII) states that the W. front was built in 1758, but the dated staircase (see below) shows that the alterations had been started at least five years earlier. In the 19th century further additions were made to N. and S. of the original range, but these extensions have now been demolished.

The W front is of five bays (Plate 148); the three middle bays are emphasised by four Corinthian pilasters and a pediment, executed in Portland stone. At the foot of the pilasters a double flight of balustraded steps leads up to the central ground-floor opening; the original steps were removed in the 19th century but the efeature has recently been restored on the basis of an 18th-century painting preserved in the house. Inside, the 18th-century staircase (Plate 85) which was originally at the centre of the N. side of the main block has now been transferred to the centre of the modern E. front. The steps are of stone, the balustrades are of scrolled wrought-iron and the moulded hand-rail is of figured walnut veneer. The scrolled ironwork of the landing balustrade encloses the Ryves crest, on the reverse of which is engraved ‘Thos. Ryves 1753’. An original Palladian staircase window and rich rococo plaster-work on the walls and ceiling of the stair hall have also been transferred and restored; an oval canvas by Casali forms the central panel of the ceiling. Another oval canvas by the same painter, formerly in the drawing-room ceiling, has been reset in the ceiling of the first-floor hall.'

<4> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset (Monograph). SWX1290.

<5> Chaplin, C P, Field Investigators Comments CPC, F1 CC 11-JAN-78 (Unpublished document). SDO17976.

<6> DOE (HHR), 1985, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: North Dorset, 41 (Scheduling record). SDO17644.

<7> English Heritage, 1984-1987, Register of parks and gardens of special historic interest in England: Dorset (Monograph). SWX1383.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 206131 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 12 2023 12:01PM