Description

SE 3519 and SE 3520 WARMFIELD-CUM-HEATH HEATH COMMON
(north side)

6/67 The Dower House
14.2.52

GV II*

Former dower house, now house. c1740 for the Smyth's of Heath Hall (q.v.),
with early C19 extension in matching style. Ashlar, Westmorland green-slate
roof. 2 storeys. Symmetrical composition originally of 5 x 4 bays, double-depth.
Rusticated quoins, chamfered plinth, moulded band. Central doorway has architrave,
carved consoles, pulvinated frieze and casement-moulded cornice, 5-pane overlight.
Windows have architraves and 15-pane sashes in an uncommon combination of 5 panes
times 3. Oversailing casement-moulded eaves cornice with shallow triangular
pediment over the central 3 bays supported to either side by broad tablets. Hipped
roof with 2 stacks to each side at junction with central projecting bays on return
walls. Original symmetry disturbed by added bay on left which breaks forward
under its own hipped roof and has end stack to left. Rear: 5 bays. Rusticated
quoins, chamfered plinth, plain raised band. Central arched stairwindow has
dropped keystone. Windows have plain raised surrounds. Ground floor: 3rd and 4th
bays altered by addition of link block to adjacent house, not of special interest.
Right-hand return has central 2 bays projecting with quoined angles, windows with
raised surrounds and 15-pane sashes. 2nd bay has doorway with monolithic jambs
and overlight. Outer bays blind originally: 4th bay has the angle filled in with
incongruous addition (perhaps Cl9) in partly-rendered brick with a small window
in raised plain surrounds to each floor.

Interior: entrance hall: 2 arched doorways with fanlights: that to right leading
to main staircase, that to left to a secondary one; fireplace with moulded stone
surround and fluted keystone and large panelled overmantel with broken pediment,
well-detailed joinery to panelled walls with raised banding on the dado. Open-well
staircase has finely-turned balusters, 3 to each riser, the central one iron-twist,
Ionic fluted columns as newels and parquetry inlay on the quarter landing, carved
Rococo end-brackets and wreathed-and-ramped handrail. The reception rooms and
bedrooms retain contemporary wooden panelling, carved chimney pieces and door
frames with 6-panel doors. Rear rooms of house have C19 linenfold panelling in
Elizabethan style.
Illustrated in I. and E. Hall, Heath (booklet).

Listing NGR: SE3563320093

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17550162

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

• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)