Building record MDO45269 - Ashmore Farm, Green lane, Ashmore

A detached house built originally as a shooting lodge in 1925, was designed by William Curtis Green (1875-1960) for Arthur Sturge, in a neo-Georgian style. The main house is primarily a brick construction, rendered, with ashlar dressed-stone detailing, all under a slate roof with clay ridge tiles. The main building has an H-shape plan, running south-west to north-east. The central section is of two storeys with an attic under a pitched roof, flanked by wings which vary between one and two storeys high, beneath hipped roofs. To the north-east side is a large late-20th century extension connected to the main house by a link on the end of the original north-east wing. Originally the rear wings were half-hipped, and in the mid-20th century the roof line was heightened increasing the storey height from one to two. Balconies were added later and windows on both floors replaced by French doors. The building was assessed for listing in 2011 but failed to meet the required criteria.

Ashmore Farm, originally known as Ashmore Lodge, was built in 1925 and designed by the architect William Curtis Green (1875-1960) as a shooting lodge for Arthur Sturge, a cousin of Green’s wife who worked as an underwriter for the insurance company Lloyds. Green had previously built a house for Sturge, `Dolobran’ at Chislehurst, Bromley, in 1905 (now demolished). Ashmore Farm became a family home in the Second World War. From 1957 it was owned by the Stoop family until it was sold in 1996, after which the new owner carried out works to redesign and enlarge the building. In 2006 it was bought by the current owners, who have carried out further works to the interior and exterior.

The building first appears on the 3rd Edition Ordnance Survey Map where is noted as Manor House (1929). Historic images from the early and mid-20th century show there have been a number of external alterations including the loss of the central stack; insertion of dormer windows; replacement of various sash windows on the rear elevation with French doors; the demolition of a single-storey billiard room on the south-west end; and the rebuilding of the corresponding single-storey section on the opposite end. The footprint of the building has also almost doubled in size with the addition of a large two-storey extension to the north-east, which replaces an earlier rectangular building shown on the 3rd Ed. Ordnance Survey Map, and which is attached to the original house by a single-storey link. A thatched garage has also been built to the west of the main house.

Historic images from 1927 and 1957 show that the wings of the house were originally smaller than they appear today. Both wings have had single-storey extensions added along the front elevation. The rear elevations have also been altered. Originally the rear wings were half-hipped, and in the mid-20th century the roof line was heightened increasing the storey height from one to two. Balconies were added later and windows on both floors replaced by French doors.

By 1929 a formal garden had been laid out to the rear of house, including formal planting and a ha-ha. A circular driveway had also been laid out to the front of building leading from the road to the entrance. The formal design of the front and rear gardens has since gone. The ha-ha remains, though its alignment has been altered. At some point gate-piers were added to the garden at the rear of the building.

Curtis Green set up in practice in 1898 and is generally viewed as one of the most influential Edwardian architects. He is particularly well-known for his institutional buildings, though he also designed a number of domestic buildings, some of which are listed, including Redcourt, Croydon (1910) (Grade II) and Stockgrove Park, Buckinghamshire (1929-1938) (Grade II).

Materials: the main house is primarily a brick construction, rendered, with ashlar dressed-stone detailing, all under a slate roof with clay ridge tiles.
Plan: the main building has an H-shape plan, running south-west to north-east. The central section is of two storeys with an attic under a pitched roof, flanked by wings which vary between one and two storeys high, beneath hipped roofs. To the north-east side is a large late-20th century extension connected to the main house by a link on the end of the original north-east wing.

Exterior: the front elevation (facing north-west) has two wings to the north-east and south-west, of six and three bays respectively which project forward of the central entrance section. They contain sash windows of various sizes. This central section is divided in three by oversized pilasters of 1:3:1 bay arrangement, with the central bay standing proud. The entrance door sits in the centre under a stone semi-circular blind arch headed with a key stone, all set within a pair of stone Tuscan pilasters and entablature surround. Above the entablature is a stone relief of a stag. In the pitched roof are two dormers and a central oval light, all of which are later additions.

One of the side elevations can still be seen (facing south-west). The demolition of the billiard room has left gaps to the ground floor were the room would have been accessed. A sash window to the ground floor and two on the first floor remain. The original side elevation on the opposite end (north-east) has been obscured by the link to the modern extension.

The rear elevation (facing south-east) again has a central section flanked by side wings. The side wings consist of a single bay in line with the central section with recessed linking bays. The central section is split in three with 2:1:2 bay arrangement. The central bay is recessed, contains French windows on both floors and is flanked by stone Tuscan columns on ground floor which until recently supported a first-floor balcony. The side bays contain four by three sashes to the ground floor and four by two to the first, all with wooden shutters. In the pitched roof are five dormers with one by four over two by four sash windows, all later insertions.

Interior: internally the 1925 house has been entirely gutted with no original fixtures or fittings remaining, except for the decorative plaster ceiling in the sitting room. In the central hallway is a wooden staircase, probably a replacement or a re-configuration, which leads to the first floor.

The Principles of Selection for Listed Buildings (March 2010) states that for those buildings which were constructed after 1840, because of the greatly increased number of buildings erected and the much larger numbers that have survived, progressively greater selection is necessary. The Selection Guides for Suburban and Country Houses (April 2011) states that between 1840 and 1939, because of the increase in the number of houses and estates built and surviving, a greater degree of selection will apply, with the threshold for listing becoming higher as they approach the present day.

Ashmore Farm, formerly Ashmore Lodge, originally built as hunting lodge by William Curtis Green in 1925, occupies a key position at the edge of the medieval hunting landscape of Cranbourne Chase. The positioning of the building made good use of its setting and the original design had a strongly symmetrical appearance, with the front and rear elevation, flanked by mirroring ancillary wings, and containing evenly-distributed fenestration. The original design is discernible in the external elevations, particularly the front with the entrance way, windows and decorative detailing still extant. To the rear the original design is also evident, however there have been a number of alterations. These include the loss of the billiard room to the south-west end, and the additions the north-east wing linking the annex and extensions to the front and rear of the wings. The rear elevation has also undergone a series of alterations to the original fenestration. These incremental changes, which have occurred over time, have affected the symmetry and proportions of the original design.

Internally, the building has undergone a substantial amount of alteration. As well as the almost total loss of original decoration there have been changes to the plan, including the removal of partition walls, insertion of en-suite bathrooms and also the adaptation of the attic to create further living accommodation which has involved the insertion of dormer windows. The replacement of the main staircase may also indicate the arrangement of the hallway has been reconfigured to some extent. The north-east wing of the original building has been knocked through to create a link to the annex, which has altered the internal circulation of the building at this end. The alteration to the internal layout of the building has had a significant effect on the integrity of Curtis Green’s original design.

William Curtis Green (1875-1960) set up in practice in 1898 and is generally viewed as one of the most influential Edwardian architects. He is particularly well-known for his institutional buildings some of which appear on the National Heritage List for England, including Stratton House, Westminster (Grade II), Brislington Transport Depot Entrance and attached gates, Bristol (Grade II) and 157-160 Piccadilly, Westminster (Grade II*). He also designed a number of domestic buildings, some of which are listed, including Redcourt, Croydon (1910) (Grade II) and Stockgrove Park, Buckinghamshire (1929-1938) (Grade II). The involvement of an eminent, nationally significant architect can greatly raise the special interest of a building; however it is important the design remains substantially intact, particularly for a 20th century building. In the case of Ashmore Farm, while externally there is some surviving evidence of Curtis Green’s original design, the incremental external changes have badly damaged the coherence of the original, strongly symmetrical elevations; and the substantial internal alterations have led to the loss of the original form and decorative scheme.

It has been suggested that the stone relief of a stag above the entrance door can be attributed to John Skeaping, an English sculptor and equine painter. John Skeaping (1901-1980) was a prominent 20th century sculptor whose work includes the carved stone corbels in the Church of St Nicholas, Ashmore (Grade II). His work is represented in national collections including the Tate Gallery. The stone relief of a stag is an attractive artistic embellishment which reflects the use of the house as a former hunting lodge, and reinforces its location within the ancient hunting landscape of Cranborne Chase. However, while the potential association with Skeaping would be of note, it is not proven, and even if it were authenticated, the sculpture alone is not significant enough to raise the special interest of the building, particularly when set against the degree of external alteration and the loss of internal fabric.

The applicant suggests that the association with the prominent Sturge family raises the interest of the building. Arthur Sturge, who commissioned the building, was a descendant of the Sturge family who had owned an estate at Ashmore since 18th century. The Sturge family have particularly strong local interest within the village of Ashmore where they had a great deal of involvement with the development of a number of buildings, including helping to finance farm buildings, water supplies, the local church, the Methodist chapel, the school and a recreational field. The connection with this family enhances Ashmore Farm's strong local significance as a physical demonstration of their connection with the village, but does not raise its importance in the national context, as none of the family was prominent on a national stage; for instance, none is included within the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

Ashmore Farm is a building with strong local interest, both as a building designed by an eminent architect for an historically-interesting local family and also as a former hunting lodge within an historically-important hunting landscape. However, the degree of alteration and the extent of the loss of fabric and the subsequent impact this has had on Curtis Green’s original design, mean that the building is not sufficiently intact to warrant designation in the national context, particularly given its relatively late date.

After examining all the records and other relevant information, and having carefully considered the architectural and historic interest of this case, the criteria for listing are not fulfilled. Ashmore Farm, formerly Ashmore Lodge, is not recommended for listing. <1>

<1> Historic England, UDS Non-Designation case report, Report on case 468320 in 2011 (Scheduling record). SDO18398.

<2> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1546872 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jul 3 2023 3:53PM