Description

BOTUS FLEMING
SX 46 SW
6/8 Moditonham House
23.1.68
GV II*
House. Early C18, incorporating fabric from an earlier house; with alterations of
later C18 and C19, some C20 alterations. Front in Devon limestone ashlar with
granite dressings; sides rendered and lined out; rear in slatestone rubble. Hipped
slate roof, with the rear slope in asbestos slate; stacks to sides with rendered
shafts and cornices.
Plan: Double depth plan, with central to entrance hall and principal room to front
left and right; the stair hall to rear centre, and smaller room to rear right and
left, with rear wing of one-room plan to rear right and left, forming a rear
courtyard. The earlier house appears to have extended further to the rear.
Exterior: 3 storeys on plinth, symmetrical front in 2:3:2 bays, the outer bays
slightly advanced, with long and short rusticated quoins, granite band courses over
the lintels and granite moulded cornice, parapet with moulded coping with urn to
right and left. Ground floor has central Roman Doric portico with fluted columns,
frieze and entablature, with triglyphs, guttae and mutules, double doors, half-
glazed. All windows are 12-pane sashes in exposed boxes, with flat stone arches with
voussoirs and projecting keystones; sashes replaced later in the C18. At the left
side, the front range has 12-pane sash at ground floor and first floor, and external
stack. The rear range has 2-light casement and 2 C20 French windows, three 12-pane
sashes at first floor, 3 oval lights at attic with radial glazing bars; parapet
ramped up to the front range. At the right side, the front range has rusticated
quoins to right and left, with two 12-pane sashes at ground floor, first and second
floors have 12-pane sash to left and blind window to right; string courses and
parapet with coping. The parapet is ramped down to the rear range; at ground floor
there is a deep 15-pane sash and 12-pane sash, first floor has C19 mullion and
transom window and two 4-pane sashes in raised architraves of C19, second floor has 3
similar 4-pane sashes with segmental heads. At the rear, the main range has a large
30-pane sash as a stair light, and a cellar door below. Ground floor C20 door to
right and left. First floor has 2-light casement to left and 12-pane light to right,
both of C20. The wing to left has door to rear; ground floor on the inner side has
large 80-pane sash of C19, first floor has C20 2-light casement. Wing to right has
blind gable end, 6-panelled door with brick segmental head to inner side.
Interior: The entrance hall has a plaster ceiling, cornice and central roundel with
plasterwork of rustic objects, including a rake, billhooks, wheatsheaf and barrel; of
early C18. Round arch to rear stair hall. Fine imperial stair, probably to later
C18, with turned balusters, swept, wreathed handrail, open string and fluted columnar
newels. Later C18 plasterwork at first floor landing ceiling.
The front left room was remodelled as a library in the early C19; bolection moulded
panelling remains from the early C18. Bolection moulded chimneypiece at left end.
Regency style bookcases with glazed doors around the walls, with Gothic glazing and
fluted friezes. At the left end, the window with trompe l'oeil resembling bookcases;
panelled shutters to front windows. Room to front right has fine late C18 plaster
ceiling with central roundel with Grecian maidens; dado rail, panelled shutters to
windows. Wooden chimneypiece to rear, with paired Ionic columns, frieze and
entablature. Both rooms have 6-panelled doors. The room to rear right has a similar
chimneypiece with single fluted Ionic columns, back to back with the front fireplace.
In the rear right wing, a kitchen, heated from a gable end stack, with slate floor.
The room to rear left has a plasterwork frieze of vine leaves, plain reeded
chimneypiece. Segmental-headed alcove to the inner wall with pilasters.
This house retains fine internal features from the early and the late C18. The side
stacks give a symmetrical effect, although the stack to right does not heat the
ground floor room, probably only the first and second floor rooms.

Listing NGR: SX4134461283

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17555684

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

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  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
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  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
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  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper