Building record 0420802031 - BOYCOTT PAVILIONS, Oxford Drive, Stowe Landscape Gardens

Description (B4).
Brief description in c.1862 (B5) and in early 20th century (B6).
Description & plan (B7).
Grade I. Pair of large rusticated stone pavilions now houses. Circa 1728 by Gibbs. Altered 1754 by Borra. The original steep pyramid roofs changed in 1754 to the present domes with cupolas (B14).
The National Trust Survey of Stowe undertaken in 1989 notes that the west pavilion was designed as a house, the other had open sides and was converted into a house by the school (B18).
English Heritage's survey fo Stowe undertaken in 2001 notes that the western pavilion stands on a levelled platform which falls away steeply to the west. A low bank lies on the eastern side of the building, 56m long and 4-5m wide with a flat top. It is interpreted as spoil from levelling the landscape to receive the two buildings (B19).
West pavillion included in English Heritage's Buildings ar Risk Registers. In 1999 described as 'priority C: 'Slow decay; no solution agreed'. In 2001-2006 described as priority 3 (D): 'Slow decay; solution agreed but not yet implemented'. In 2007 described as priority E: 'Under repair…'; in 2008-9 priority D: 'Slow decay…Work needed to masonry'; in 2011 priority C: 'Slow decay, no solution agreed'. East Pavillion described in 2015-2018 as priority D: 'Slow decay; solution agreed but not yet implemented'; in 2019-2024 described as priority C: 'Slow decay; no solution agreed' (B33,B37-39,B43,B45,B48,B54,B64,B68-70,B73,B76-77,B82,B84-85).
The current roof is the third to have been employed over the building. The original roof consisted fo a large pyramidal design by James Gibbs, published in his Book of Architecture in1728. The second roof was by Giovanni Battista Borra in 1754 (or 1758) and was perhaps made to improve the neo-classical appearance of the building (B58).