Description

In the entry for:
BEVERLEY LAIRGATE
(west side)
8/166 The Hall (now
Municipal Offices)
The address shall be amended to read:
BEVERLEY LAIRGATE
(west side)
The Hall (now
Borough Council Offices)

------------------------------------

TA 0339 BEVERLEY LAIRGATE
(west side)
8/166 The Hall (now Municipal
1.3.50 Offices)
GV I
The house of the Pennyman family. Circa 1700 and 1780. Red brick and stone
dressings painted except where otherwise stated. This important house had
a series of larger scale rooms added to its western side, and a remodelling
of the staircase and centre feature of the entrance front about 1780.
Externally the work was executed in a conservative vein following the main
lines of the older building and represents a sympathetic and successful fusion
of the two periods. Much of the work is of the highest quality. Two storeys
high. East front, five windows wide with a strongly marked centre to be
described in detail. Late 18th century sashes. Openings have gauged heads
with stone triple keyblocks and moulded stone cills. Stone long and short
quoins. Boldly projecting stone base crowned by a cove mould. Modillion
crowning cornice in wood. Three pedimented sash dormers. Roof, of graded
Westmorland slate, hipped. Flight of 6 moulded steps with returns of natural
stone, circa 1780. On the ground floor is a tetrastyle Roman Doric portico
of shallow projection with correct responds and centre intercolumniation of
double width. Columns are sandstone monoliths. An inner range of 2 further
columns screens a deep recess into the body of the house. This recess or open
vestibule appears to have been modified circa 1800. The inner angles are
rounded and in the centre is the doorway with a semi-circular fanlight and
a reeded architrave in painted stone, double doors with solid lower panels
and upper ones glazed in 6 small panes. Two shallow round-headed niches, with
reeded edges, to side walls, dado, and plaster cornice. A plain stone lintel
with moulded cornice is supported by the columns of the portico, over this
is a balustrade and a triple window with its wide centre opening filled with
two rather narrow sashes, and flanked by two small Greek Ionic attached
columns. The outer faces of the small side windows are flanked by Ionic
pilasters. The entablature is broken over the centre opening. The south front
is flanked by two large semi-octagonal bays each of three windows in width.
The east bay dates to approximately 1700 and the west one to 1780. Though possessing
the same moulded cill string to the first floor, and the gauged arches with
stone key-blocks of the other windows the 1780 bay is taller than the east
one and projects upwards into the roof. The base, quoins and crowning cornice
repeat on the east side as also do the details of one dormer. The bays have
Westmorland slate roofs with lead ridges. West front 1780, five windows wide.
Apart from lighter boxings to larger windows the details repeat the other
fronts. North front follows similar lines but is entirely of 1700 and
preserves some original heavy sashes. There is a discreet service wing. The
interior contains remains of bolection moulded panelling on first floor. Very
spacious staircase hall with cantilevered staircase of wood (1780), coved
ceiling with 'Adam' decoration and dome light. 'Adam' doorcases and mahogany
doors, those to the Dining and Drawing Rooms being richly detailed and of first
quality. These 2 main rooms of 1780 are of considerable size and have most
of their mouldings enriched with carving. The Drawing Room has a bowed end,
a very elaborate 'Adam' ceiling and a hand-painted Chinese wallpaper. The
Dining Room walls are panelled and enriched with arabesques. The ceiling is
elaborately panelled and enriched. There is a fine mantel in this room.
NMR photos and Country Life article 23.4.53.

Listing NGR: TA0326239284

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17533917

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

• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)