Description

ASHPRINGTON
S PAINSFORD
6/44 Painsford Manor

11.11.52

GV II*

House, now a farmhouse, formerly the seat of the Kellands. Probably late C16
or early C17, possibly incorporating earlier fabric; remodelled in late C17
for John Kelland, and remodelled again in circa late C18 and/or early C19.
Dressed slate rubble with stuccoed front wall. Main roof is of slates with
gabled ends, asbestos slate at the front; the section set back at the left
has a lower slate hipped roof and the rear wing has a catslide roof. Axial
and gable gable end stacks with brick shafts of late C18 or early C19 except
for the right had shaft which appears to be later C19.
Plan: The present house has a tall 2 storey main range of 4-room plan facing
south with a cross-passage between the 2 centre rooms; the 2 right hand east
rooms are relatively small and have an axial partition at the back providing
a stairhall and entrance lobby behind. The room set back slightly at the left
hand west end has a lower floor level and high ceiling. To the south west at
the front of the left hand room there is the remains of a long wing at right
angles with an open-fronted loggia on the ground floor, the first floor and
roof having been removed. Behind the cross-passage and room to left of centre
there is a short 2-storey wing of 2 rooms width, the left hand room containing
the back stairs. To the left of this rear wing there is a stone vaulted
cellar under the higher ground level behind the left end room of the main
range.
Development: The chapel (qv). was licensed in 1400 and there must have been
a house here in the C15 but what survives is probably mainly late C16 or early
C17 fabric in a house which was remodelled in the late C17, and remodelled
again and probably reduced in late C18 and/or early C19. The late C16 or
early C17 house had what was reputedly a long gallery over a loggia in a south
west wing to the front of the left end of the main range; only the arcade of
the loggia and ground storey walls of the wing survive. The Main range is
more complete but in a remodelled form, probably heightened and the front wall
rebuilt forward slightly in the late C17 and refenestrated in the late C18
and/or early C19. The internal arrangement of its 4-room plan is also the
result of the late C17 remodelling. The cross-passage has late C17 panelling
on the left side and a thick wall on the right side with an axial fireplace
heating the room to the right. This is one of the 2 relatively small right
hand rooms and stairhall behind with a lobby which were probably all formed
in the late C17 from one large room at this end. It may have been the hall
of the late C16/early C17 house. Furthermore there have been a wing at the
front at this end balancing the long gallery-loggia wing to the left to farm
a large U-shaped plan house. Is the 'outbuilding immediately south east of
Painsford Manors' (qv) that wing, now detached from the main range?
The chapel was rebuilt by John Kelland in 1683-7, a date consistent with the
architectural features of the late C17 remodelling of the interior. Therefore
it was almost certainly John Kelland who provided the grand first floor
chambers in the main range. The late C18 and/or early C19 alteration included
refenestration and some internal alterations including the replacement of the
main stairs; the house was probably also reduced in size at this time.
Exterior: 2 tall storeys. Asymmetrical 4-window front plus 1 window range
set back to left. The 2 first floor windows to the right are at a lower
level. First floor 2 C19 tripartite sashes to the left with glazing bars, C19
30-pane sash to right of centre and late C19 sash to right with vertical
glazing bars only. On the ground floor 2 C19 20 pane sashes to the right and
a large C20 window to the left in an old opening. Doorway to the left of
centre with an early C19 glazed and panelled door with a rectangular overlight
now enclosed within a C20 conservatory/porch. The left hand end of the front
is set back and was formerly an internal wall to a wing at the front. It has
a fine circa late C16 or early C17 Tudor arch fireplace exposed on the first
floor which probably heated what was reputedly a long-gallery over a loggia
which projects at the left hand end of the house. It is now a roofless ruin
with finely dressed slate walls and a 6-bay arcaded front to the inner east
face with finely dressed slate octagonal piers with moulded bases and decking
to the capitals supporting chamfered segmented almost round, arches; the arch
to the left of centre has collapsed and the wall above the arcade has been
demolished.
The right hand gable end of the main range has a late c18 or early C19 round-
headed stair window with glazing bars, to the right on the first floor.
The back wall of the main range is blind except for a doorway with a late C18
panelled door and a slated canopy. The masonry of the back wall has
indications of an integral lateral stack, now turneated, but which may have
been the hall stack before the late C17 remodelling. To the right of centre
at the rear a short wing with a catslide roof and Cl9 casement windows.
The left hand end of the main range has 2 very large blocked first floor
windows in the end wall and a projecting lateral stack on the back wall.
Interior: Is largely the result of the late C17 remodelling and retains some
good features of this period. The staircase in the rear right hand stairhall
is a late C18 or early Cl9 replacement; it is a dog-leg staircase with an open
string, stick balusters and moulded handrails ramped up to column newels. The
stairhall has fine late C17 bolection moulded panel partitions separating it
from the front rooms and rear lobby. These 2 front rooms at the right hand
end are quite tall but have no features except for internal window shutters.
The cross-passage has a circa late C17 moulded plank partition on the left
side, backed with early C17 panelling in the room to the left of centre; this
room also has a C17 panelled rear wall and a blocked fireplace which is said
to have a stone arch. The extreme left hand room has a lower floor level, a
fireplace in the rear wall with a reused Tudor-arch lintel and a very high
ceiling with heavy unchamfered beams and reused moulded joists with run-out
stops. Behind this room a stone-vaulted cellar under the ground at the back.
The first floor has some late C17 bolection moulded 2-panel doors and C18
chimneypieces. There are 4 rooms on the first floor to the left centre and
in the rear wing with bolection moulded panelling. One chamber over the
centre at the back of the main range is completely, panelled complete with a
bolections moulded chimneypiece. Another very fine late C17 chamber to the
left of centre in the main range has bolection panelling and a very good
bolection moulded chimneypiece, its cornice breaks forward at the centre;
the large panelled double doors of this room have a doorcase with a very fine
broken pediment facing the landing which has bolection dado panelling. The
chamber at the left end is also lined with bolection panelling and has a
similarly moulded chimneypiece.
Roof: The roof space was not inspected - the pitch is fairly low.
Source: W.G. Hoskins, Devon, page 322

Listing NGR: SX8006956827

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17533321

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

• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)