Description

WEST FELTON C.P.
SJ 32 NE
8/52 Woodhouse including
attached service range
to north (formerly listed
19.1.52 as Wood House including
kitchen wing, offices
and coachbuildings)
GV II*
Country house. 1773-4 by Robert Mylne for William Mostyn-Owen incorporating
parts of the house built for Robert Owen, Sheriff of Shropshire, in early
C17; later additions and alterations. Red brick with sandstone ashlar
dressings and plinth encapsulating timber frame; double-span low-pitched
hipped slate roof.with painted stacks below ridge. 2 storeys with continuous
moulded entablature and parapet; Ionic pilasters to corners and centre of
main fronts. Entrance front: 2 pairs of glazing bar sashes (15-Paned
to ground floor) with gauged heads flanking centre recess with a distyle
Ionic portico in antis, the centre of which, supported on 2 giant Ionic
columns, projects so as to produce the effect of a porch. Portico itself
is sandstone but recess is brick, rendered and scored in imitation of large
ashlar blocks. Broken-pedimented doorcase with carving of double-headed
eagle (Mostyn family crest) to top,formerly flanked by roundels, now infilled
and partly cut by glazing bar sashes inserted c.1927. Contemporary sash
windows directly above to first floor. Lead down-pipes to corners and
to sides of centre recess. South front: 3:3:3 bays,centre section forming
full-height ashlar-faced bow with applied giant Ionic columns. Glazing
bar sashes (15-paned to ground floor) with gauged heads. West front: 2:3:1
bays, centre section recessed with lead down-pipes in angles; entablature
to right bay only. Glazing bar sashes to first floor and tall round-headed
windows to ground floor. North front: rendered partly over timber frame;
4 glazing bar sashes to first floor with sash windows of reduced proportions
directly above to second floor plus one recently inserted to right at time
of resurvey (June 1986). Brick lean-to below has blind wide segmental-headed
arches to left and right with sash windows. Service range: attached to
north. Probably mainly c.1773-4, reusing earlier sash windows to rear,
with eaves raised c.1830-40. Incorporates brewhouse and bakehouse to ground
floor with former granary above, later converted to domestic accommodation
as which left part remains. 3 storeys; 2:1:2 bays, centre section forming
slightly projecting break with dentilled cornice carried up around pediment.
Segmental-headed glazing bar-sashes with projecting keystones, lower right
infilled and half-glazed door, also with segmental head, inserted. Entrance
knocked through to centre bay. Segmental-headed 6-panel door (top panels
now glazed) to far left. Date "1909" on rainwater heads in angle between
projecting break and ranges to left and right. Ridge stacks to left and
right of pediment with outer ridge stacks to left and right and integral
end stack to left. Central octagonal louvred lantern housing bell, surmoun-
ted by brass weathervane. Former roof pitch visible to right gable end.
Rear has 5 segmental-headed openings on each floor, some blind
and others having late C17 or early C18 sash windows with thick glazing
bars. Segmental-headed air vents for former granary above first-floor
windows. Attached pump and stone basin between fourth and fifth bays from
left. Interior. Entrance hall has central stone staircase, starting
in one flight and branching at right-angles to left and right on half-landing.
Cast-iron balustrade with oval-shaped rosettes to open string and wreathed
handrail. Top-lit by octagonal lantern with plaster decoration to each
face. Cast-iron balustrade to first floor similar to that of staircase
with wide elliptical arch above to centre and narrower flanking arches.
Round-headed arches at top of each flight of staircase. Colonnade in antis
in front of staircase with 2 sandstone Ionic columns supporting frieze,
which is continuation of that below balustrade to first floor. Stone fireplace
to right with carvings of double-headed eagles above miniature Ionic columns.
Room to left of entrance hall has Adam-style marble fireplace depicting
scenes from classical mythology and plaster frieze and cornice. Room behind
(in bow) has marble fireplace with a carving of a putto astride an eagle.
Scalloped round-headed niches above and to left and right, now infilled
with C19 bookcases. Elaborate plaster frieze and cornice. Double doors
in reeded pilastered surround lead to rectangular-shaped room with Adam-
syle marble fireplace; another elaborate plaster frieze and cornice. Dining
Room (behind entrance hall) has plaster frieze with festooned garlands and
egg and dart moulding to cornice. Plain marble fireplace with crest of
double-headed eagle. Rooms to right of entrance hall represent earlier
part of house. Exposed timber frame (mostly close studding of c.1600)
to both floors and attic. Overhanging gallery with window to present kitchen
represents back wall of original house. Reused rectangular oak panelling
some with fluted frieze, including to back staircase. Panelled doors and
moulded plaster cornices to first floor rooms in C18 part. A set of builder's
accounts survives for the rebuilding of 1773/4. Charles Darwin was a frequent
visitor to the house between 1828 and 1833. Addition of c,1927 in C18 style form-
erly attached to north was demolished c.1984. B.o.E. p.322; Colvin (1978)
pp. 573, 576; Christopher Gotch, 'Mylne and Adam', Architectural Review (Feb
1956) pp. 121-3; notes provided by owner (June 1986).

Listing NGR: SJ3641728835

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Woodhouse at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17539377

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

• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)