Description

NORTH BOVEY SX 78 SW 4/206 Manor House Hotel including - 16.1.81 terraces immediately to south-east GV II*

Country house in use as an hotel. 1907 by Detmar Blow for Viscount Hambledon; extended in 1930s and hall floored in early 1980s. Snecked squared granite blocks with dressed quoins. Bath stone dressings to doors and windows. High pitched clay tiled roof with tall grouped octagonal granite chimneys. Main building in Jacobean style. Roughly central entrance hall leads to long passage running length of building with main rooms opening to the south looking onto the garden. Great hall to the right of entrance hall has had a floor inserted in early 1980s. Later additions to the north and west end dating from 1930s. 2 storeys with attic floor. Asymmetrical entrance front (north west) of 5 bays with later additions projecting from left end and extending from the right end. The outer bays are projecting and gabled with 3 tiers of mullioned windows of decreasing size as they go up, with the ground and first floor ones transomed. Projecting central 2 storey porch with shaped gable, 4-light mullion and transomed window above semi-circular stone arched doorway. To right of porch on ground and first floors is single light then 4-light mullion and transomed window. To left of porch is very large mullion and transomed stair window of 12 arched lights. To its left is buttress then 3-light mullion and transomed window on ground and first floors. The middle section between the 2 projecting gables is battlemented. Rear (south-east) garden front has similar though more symmetrical 5-bay front to main block with irregular right end. Main block has 2 projecting outer bays with pointed gables. Central projecting ground floor entrance loggia of 3-bay arcade with round-headed arched doorways. Recessed shaped gable above. To either side is projecting 2-storey window bay with 6-light mullion and transomed windows to ground and first floor. To either side, between this bay and the gabled outer bay is recessed section with 6-light mullion and transomed windows to ground and first floor. The section between the 2 outer projecting bays is battlemented with string- course above ground and first floor windows. Good lead inscribed rain-water heads. To right of main block is asymmetrical 4 window battlemented block with projecting gabled bay at far right which has 2 tiers of mullion windows and arcaded arched doorways to ground floor. To the left of the projecting gable is canted 5-light mullion and transomed oriel window and irregularly placed mullion and mullion and transomed windows around it. Drip-course above each level of windows with 3 stone gargoyles above the upper one. In front of the house is a stone balustraded garden terrace retaining wall running the full length with steps opposite the entrance loggia leading to an intermediate stage which has steps leading down from it either side. Interior is of high quality. The main rooms open to the south-west off a groin vaulted long passage with arcading of carved stone arched doorways and moulded plasterwork. The main rooms are an Adam style drawing room, an elaborately panelled dining room with ornate carved wooden overmantle to fireplace and moulded plaster ceiling of ribs and pendants. Between these 2 rooms is the great hall, originally of 2 storey height with gallery at one end, now ceiled in to make 2 rooms. Panelled walls with 2-bay arcade at one end with splat baluster staircase to former gallery beyond and very elaborately carved stone fireplace at the opposite end. The room above has stone arcading around the sides and a roof of moulded arched braced tie- beams with carved spandrels and trefoil-headed arcading above trusses. Moulded purlins and ridge. Elaborately carved Jacobean style staircase.

Listing NGR: SX7314984472

External Links

• Bovey Castle at Wikipedia
• Wikidata IDs Q17534754 Q4950530

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

• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)