Description

SY 29 NW WIDWORTHY

4/144 Widworthy Court
-
22.2.55
GV II

Hotel, former country house. Dated 1830, built for Sir Edward Marwood Elton,
baronet; the architect was George Repton. Plastered limestone ashlar; brick stacks
with ashlar chimneyshafts, most with original chimneypots; slate roof.
Plan: U-plan house. The main block faces onto the garden terrace (q.v) to the
south-east. It has a double depth plan with 3 front rooms and behind a large
entrance hall and stair hall. Thus the main entrance is on the left (south-west)
end. The left rear wing projects at right angles and returns the same height as the
main block 1-room then continues as a service wing at a lower level. The right
(north-east) rear wing contains the principal parlour and at the end set forward
from the parlour wing is what looks like a former billiard room (now converted to
bedrooms). Most of the rooms are heated by a series of axial stacks. There is some
secondary infill of the courtyard. 2 storeys with attics to the main part and
cellars under the parlour wing.
Exterior: the garden front has a 1:3:1 - window front. The centre bay is slightly
recessed. The first floor windows are 12-pane sashes with moulded architraves. The
ground floor centre-bay windows are in a canted bay with front doorway. The windows
each side are tripartite 6-pane sashes with Doric pilasters between, entablature
above and balustrade below. There is a plain platband at first floor level. There
is a dentil eaves cornice and parapet. The attic storey at the left end which
carries round over the entrance front is probably secondary. All the roofs are
hipped. The north-east parlour front has a 5-window front of 12-pane sashes in the
same style as the front, and the former billiard room block has a similar 3-window
front and a open parapet of turned balusters. The entrance front has a 3-window
front of 12-pane sashes and there are panels below the ground windows. The large
central doorway contains part-glazed double doors with side lights and overlight
behind a Doric porch with 4 columns and balustrade. The service block, set back a
little to left contains plain 12-pane sashes including a full height canted bay.
The date plaque is on the wall alongside the bay window.
Interior: the entrance hall and stairhall is large and impressive. There is a
segmental arch between the two, its soffit enriched by ornamental plasterwork.
There is a monumental chimneypiece to the stairhall fireplace featuring the Marwood
arms flanked by garlands, a fret pattern frieze above, and above that a large eared
picture frame. Large open well stair; open string, cast iron bulbous balusters,
mahogony handrail and curtail step. The tripartite sash window lighting the stairs
has Doric columns between and a balustrade below. The ceiling has a cornice of
acanthus leaf-shaped modillions with rosettes between and it is panelled with the
ribs enriched with guilloche. Although there is still some original joinery and
other detail much has been removed.
Repton's original plans including the landscaping of the grounds are in the RIBA
library. Apparently the scheme was unfinished; a giant Ionic portico was originally
intended but never built.
Source: Devon SMR.

Listing NGR: SY2066299614

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26618070

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

• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)