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

• Wikidata Q26549744

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Recommended Books

• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (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)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas