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HER 13078 - MOOR PARK, Moor Park Lane, Farnham

The present exterior of the house is late I8th century and is a rebuilding of the 17th century house of Sir William Temple, farmous in his time for its gardens. The garden front (south west) is 3 storeys, with a taller central motif consisting of a wide angular bay with a slightly projecting centre. The bay has 3 windowsand the flanking wings 2 windows each. The main cornice is at 1st floor level with a moulded string over at 2nd floor cill level, both carried round central bay, and the cornice curved segmentally over central window of bay. Each wing has a central 3-panes wide 2nd floor window in segmental arched recess; lining with panels on each face of central bay. A moulded string at head of walls to side wing is carried round centre bay; the latter carried up another storey with a square window on each face, and crowned with a 2nd cornice, with a pediment on line of main wall. The entrance front has symmetrical flanking wings of similar general design and a later arcaded porch across ground floor between the wings. within, staircase with "crinoline" balustrade; oval plaster medallions in elegant plaster frames on staircase walls. Range of one-storey brick outbuildings (altered) adjoins house to north-west (now in domestic use). Foundations of former banqueting house and gazebo also remain to the north-west. The sundial said to mark the grave of Temple's heart has disappeared. The lines of the original terraced garden leading to the river remain, but no architectural features. The planting is now informal, and a very fine cedar stands in front of the house, which is backed by the long wooded ridge of the north-east side of the Wey valley. The great beauty of this valley, both sides of which are thickly wooded and which extends from the railway near' Farnham junction to the entrance of Waverley Park, and sweeps round through the Park is so far unaffected by modern building. Moor Park was the house for 15 years of Sir William Temple and his wife Dorothy Osbourne. Jonathan Swift, as secretary to Sir Wlilliam, worte here "A Tale of a Tub", "The Battle of the Books"" and here also he met Stella. Charles Darwin was a visitor here. Earl Roberts lived at Moor Park in the early part of this century. See article in "country life" for November 25, 1949, tracing the outlines of Sir William Temple's garden, and the existence of a 17th century house within the present building. Listing NGR: SU8621646529

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