The Ivy, Chippenham, Wiltshire

The Ivy forms the principal section of a glorious Grade I-listed manor house in Chippenham, built in 1728 for the lawyer and local MP John Norris. It is a seldom-seen example of the high English baroque, set in four acres of gardens designed by award-winning garden designers Julian and Isabel Bannerman. Set in the Chippenham Conservation Area in Wiltshire, it is easily accessible from London and is a short distance from Bath. Despite being located in the heart of a market town, the grounds of the house are a haven, creating a rural atmosphere and tremendous privacy. The house has undergone an extensive and highly sensitive programme of restoration works in recent years and is now exceptionally well presented. Internal accommodation extends to over 5,500 sq ft with five bedrooms and a series of beautifully designed living spaces. Additionally, it has an outdoor heated swimming pool.

Setting the Scene

From Bath Road, imposing wooden gates shield the house from view. These open to reveal mature planting, which frames the breathtaking façade. A series of ‘outdoor rooms’ enclosed by topiary and plantings of laurel and spruce, along with mature horse chestnut trees, create a sense of drama on approach. A driveway sweeps to the left, hidden from view. The exquisite gardens surround the house, with box topiary and other formal elements, relieved by naturalistic planting, a lake and areas of woodland.

The house’s current form was built in 1728 as part of a heavy remodelling and extension of an earlier 17th-century building. The architect is unknown, however, the house has been attributed to either John Strahan, William Halfpenny, William Killigrew or Thomas Greenway.

Built in Bath Stone, the house is laid out in an H-shaped plan and extends across three storeys with excellent symmetry and balance. Seven bays across, it has a central three-bay range. From here, wings protrude on either side and have roman arched gables with fine dentil details. Rusticated quoins frame the corners of the wings and are topped with Campania-shaped urn finials. This home forms the northern range of the greater house.

As is characteristic of the baroque style, classical architectural language is utilised in abundance to create highly decorative, finely detailed façades and interiors. The central doorway is framed by a quartet of ionic, half-round pilasters and topped with a triangular pedimented architrave. This is echoed above by a less heavily rusticated broken pediment framing, a Romanesque arch with a mask keystone and floral and swag details set into the tympanum. Lead rainwater heads and downpipes with a raised ivy leaf are dated 1728. For more information, please see the History section.

The Grand Tour

The Ivy’s central, primary entrance opens into the hall, where large diagonally-paved tiles run underfoot. Fine panelling lines the walls with intricate foliated mouldings; a modillion cornice runs above. Two elaborate stone chimneypieces are topped with pediments and further foliated decoration. An open-string staircase with turned balusters ascends to the first floor.

The drawing room and morning room are on the left of the hall, which are interconnected to create a single expansive space. These rooms have full-height bolection-moulded panels. The larger room has pairs of fluted Corinthian pilasters flanking a circular panel over an elaborate fireplace with Corinthian columns and a mask centrepiece. The décor of the house is truly exquisite, with contemporary pieces contrasting against the details of the baroque fabric.

To the rear of the plan is the kitchen, which is voluminous and has a racing green Aga as a focal point. Bespoke cabinetry has been seamlessly incorporated and veined Rojo Bilbao Marble worksurfaces add texture and depth.

Bedrooms are set on the first and second floors, and all are arranged on a thoughtful and spacious plan; these are accompanied by three bathrooms. The first floor houses the principal bedrooms and bathrooms. The bedrooms have marble chimneypieces, and the bathrooms are panelled and have traditional brassware and roll-top baths; all rooms have stunning views of the surrounding gardens. A bedroom on this floor is currently set out as a drawing room, accompanied by an adjacent second kitchen, creating a self-contained apartment.

The two bedrooms at the apex of the house are in the eaves and have large dormer windows. There is a large playroom/ study accompanying the bedrooms here.

The Great Outdoors

The gardens around the house have been brilliantly designed to create a series of serene spaces. A man-made berm with dense tree planting envelops the grounds and ensures the house is brilliantly private. Mature wisteria, jasmine and climb the house. Raised beds with planted with tulips, alliums, a variety of roses and extensive, manicured topiary, coupled with elements of naturalistic planting lead to hidden alfresco dining terraces. An orchard is concealed by box hedging and leads to a heated pool. Large, level sections of lawn provide the ideal space for croquet.

Out and About

The Ivy is perfectly positioned for easy access to the surrounding Wiltshire and Somerset countryside. Dyrham Park is nearby, and The Peto Gardens at Iford Manor, The Tithe Barn and the Saxon Church at Bradford-on-Avon are also easily reached. Highly regarded local restaurants and pubs include: Sign of the Angel in Laccock, The Brasserie at Lucknam Park hotel and spa, and The Methuen Arms in Corsham.

River walks are easily accessed, along with a complex of footpaths across open countryside beginning at the bottom of the garden, leading to the National Trust hamlet of Lacock. The picturesque village of Castle Comb is five miles away.

Bath is a 20-minute journey by car, and the popular Cotswold towns and villages of Tetbury and Malmesbury are less than a 30-minute drive away. A Waitrose is a three minute walk from the house, there is also an excellent greengrocer within a five minutes walk. There is a good selection of supermarkets, farm shops, cafés and restaurants, all within a 20-minute drive.

Chippenham train station is a five-minute walk. From here, the train to London Paddington takes 70 minutes on the fast and direct mainline, calling at only three other stations. The M4 is accessed in seven-minutes.

Council Tax Band: G