Description

KENN
SX 98 SN

5/142 Trehill House

11.11.52
II*

Small country house, the home of the Ley family from the early C18 to the 1950s.
Rebuilt 1827 for J.H. Ley by C.R. Ayers (c. 1788-1845) (Colvin) in Greek Revival
Style. Colourwashed stuccoed sandstone ; slate hipped roof behind parapets
rendered stacks.
Plan: Approximately square-on-plan with a central entrance on the west side into an
entrance hall, large central stair hall behind entrance hall. The entrance hall is
flanked by the morning room to the right (south) and an office to the left (north).
The stair hall gives access to the bow-fronted library in the centre on the east
side, a deep drawing room on the south side with an ante room at the east end and the
dining room to the north east with a service passage and butler's pantry between the
dining room and office. The service block no longer exists. There has been some
1980s reordering of the office and butler's pantry, which have been converted to a
kitchen and bathroom. The principal rooms are very complete with refined Greek
detail.
Exterior: 2 storeys and attic with a half basement, providing a piano nobile for the
principal rooms, the attic windows concealed behind a balustraded parapet, the half
basement rusticated below a platband. Symmetrical 5-bay entrance (west) front, the
centre bay wider and recessed with steps up to a 3-bay Greek Doric portico with a
good 2-leaf panelled front door flanked by 12-pane sashes. Sash windows to the
basement; 12-pane sashes to the piano nobile with moulded architraves, floating
cornices and aprons; 3 over 6 pane first floor sashes with moulded architraves.
Delicate strip mouldings to the first floor of the centre bay. 7-bay east elevation,
overlooking the park, the centre 3 bays bowed to the front with a ruinous flight of
steps (probably mid C19) up to a French window into the library in the centre bay.
Fenestration as on the west elevation. The south elevation is 5-bays, the centre 3
slightly broken forward, the outer windows of the piano nobile and first floor blind,
the piano nobile windows with pediments. Fenestration otherwise as on the west
elevation. The north elevation is identical to the south but has had some minor
alterations in the 1950s to provide access to flats in the attic storey.
Interior: Very complete with high quality detail and original joinery, including
double doors, good doorcases and skirting boards. The entrance hall incorporates 3
friezes with figures in relief, probably casts from the Temple of Apollo at Basra
(information from owner); round-headed niches decorate the walls. A circa 1870s
flamboyant chimneypiece in a free Jacobean style has been added on the wall opposite
the front door. Splendid stair hall, top-lit with painted glass panes (not all
complete) and decorated with Greek key patterns and another frieze similar to the
entrance hall, with an open well stair with decorated iron balusters, a ramped
wreathed handrail, and a gallery of statue niches. Statues removed for cleaning at
time of survey (1987) and said not to be contemporary with the house (information
from owner). Library very complete with a good black marble and gilded chimneypiece,
dentil frieze to ceiling and co-eval bookcases with dentil friezes. Drawing room
with elegant white marble chimneypiece with anthemia carvings, complete with original
fireback and a mirror overmantel with a decorated frame. High quality ceiling frieze
of anthemia. Similar decoration to the ante-room at the east end of the drawing room
which also has an original chimneypiece with a rare survival in an ingenious integral
fireguard that pulls out of one of the jambs. The dining room also retains its
original chimneypiece and anthemion frieze. Original chimneypieces and plaster
cornices intact on first floor ; original chimneypieces also survive on the attic
storey which has been converted to flats.
A high quality and very complete Greek Revival house.
C.R. Ayers designed Canonteign House in Christow parish in 1828, altered following an
early C20 fire. The pre 1827 house at Trehill is illustrated in 1795 by Swete who
also describes some of the planting round the house.
Colvin, H., A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840 (1978).
Swete, "Picturesque Sketches of Devon", vol 11 (1795), M.S. held by the Devon Record
Office.

Listing NGR: SX9179984934

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17535912

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback