Description

SS 80 NW SANDFORD

1/178 Dowrich House including
adjoining cob garden wall to
rubble garden wall to north-east

II

Manor house, now farmhouse. Probably mid C16, some C17 work, extensively
refurbished and partly rebuilt in early C19, refronted circa 1870-80 and front
altered again in early C20. Plastered volcanic rubble with exposed stone front and
Ham stone dressings; volcanic stone stacks most with C19 chimney shafts; slate
roof. Originally a 3-room-and-through-passage house facing south-east with parlour
cross-wing projecting forward at left (south-west) end. Service end rebuilt in
early C19 with new wing projecting forward including porch to front passage door.
Large lateral stack projecting to rear of hall, lateral parlour stack, and stack
between kitchen and right (north-eastern) front wing. 2 storeys. Irregular front
of large Jacobean-style, Ham stone, ovolo-moulded mullion-and-upper-transom windows
with volcanic hoodmoulds and containing large-pane sashes; 1 window to left wing,
2 to hall and 2 to right wing which includes Ham stone arch to porch. Gable ends
of wings have kneelers, coping and ball finials and 2 similar false gables with
small vases over hall. Left (south-west) side of parlour wing has late C19
projecting parapet with moulded coping resting on a series of shaped Ham stone
corbels with segmental arches between. The plastered right (north-east) side of
wing has early C19 arched sash window with Gothick glazing bars. Projecting main
block with rounded corner also includes arched windows but these are 2-light
casements, the first floor one with arched heads. Small C19 square bell cote on
apex of kitchen roof with ogee lead roof and shaped vallances. Rear (north-west)
elevation includes a large early C19 arch-headed window to kitchen with slender
Gothick tracery and a geometric pattern of leaded glass. There are smaller
examples to the first floor. Those to left have iron casements and Gothick pattern
of leaded glass and those to right have scalloped treatment to arches and include
wooden casements with arch-headed lights. At right end a mid C16 oak 5-light
window has flat arched heads, moulded mullions, stancheons and saddle bars and C19
leaded glass in geometric patterns. Hall stack has massive mid C16 divided chimney
shaft of volcanic ashlar with moulded cap suggesting that hall was floored from the
beginning.
Interior shows mainly C19 fittings including an elaborate wooden chimney piece in
hall carved in Jacobean style with free-standing Corinthian columns enriched with
vines and grotesques on carved pedestals; and wooden cornice around hall includes
heraldic achievements of the Dowrich family and its connections. C16 and C17
features are probably hidden. C16 volcanic ashlar fireplace with hollow-chamfered
surround in parlour. Parlour roof of 4 bays on C16 side-pegged jointed cruck
trusses with butt purlins and windbraces. Hall roof of 4 C17 A-frame trusses with
dovetail lap-jointed collars. Service and front wing have C19 king post trusses.
The volcanic ashlar arched doorways with moulded surrounds at either end of through
passage may be mid C16 but appear earlier and may have been introduced in early
C19. The high garden walls adjoining either side, cob on rubble footings with
pantile and brick tops to left (south-west) and rubble to right (north-east) are
included for group value.
An early photograph shows stucco front with parapets and arched windows with
Gothick glazing bars; ogee heads to ground floor. A late C19 photograph shows a
naked stone front with present mullion-and-upper-transom windows but shaped
bargeboards to gables. Dowrich House was house of Dowrich family from 1200-1717
(Devon SMR).

Listing NGR: SS8265705067

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26549744

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

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  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]