Description

MORETONHAMPSTEAD CROSS STREET (south side),
SX 7586
Moretonhampstead
8/113 No. 6 (Ponsford House) including
- front area railings to north
- II

House. Early to mid C18, said to be 1740, and refashioned in early C19 and altered
in later C19. Granite rubble, stuccoed, with incised lining to simulate ashlar.
Rusticated stucco quoins, moulded stucco plinth and moulded band at first floor
level. Steeply pitched dry slate roof with gabled ends abutting adjoining
buildings and moulded wooden dentilled eaves cornice. Right-hand gable end has C19
shaped bargeboards. Rendered chimney stack at left-hand gable end with later brick
cap. Right-hand end stack truncated. Rear wing with stack at gable end, dry slate
roof and reused early crested ridge tiles. Victorian crested ridge tiles to main
roof.
2-room single depth plan with central entrance passage which lead originally to
probably stair tower in the angle with the contemporary early C18 rear wing, which
contains the kitchen and survives, at the rear of the right-hand room. The stair
tower was replaced in the C19 by a 2-storey leanto, on the inner side. of the wing,
which contains the late C19 stairs and provides a passage for access to the first
floor rooms in the rear wing. The original rear wing is not at precise right
angles to front range and less than 90º presumably because of the constraints of
the site.
2 storeys and attic. Almost symmetrical 3-window range, slightly closer spaced to
the right. Exposed moulded frames with renewed 12-pane sashes, first floor with
square hoodmoulds. Central doorway with fielded panel reveals reeded frieze and
fielded panel door, the top panels glazed. Porch with Tuscan columns and 1-columns
supporting moulded canopy.
2 storey and basement rear wing, the outer west side is 2 windows wide with
C18/early C19 12-pane sashes, left-hand ground floor a 16-pane sash and with 13-
light fixed window and boarded door to basement.
Interior: 2 principal front rooms, both have chimneypieces removed and exposed
fireplace lintels, left-hand room lintel has beam moulding and is possibly reused.
First floor left-hand room has early C19 reeded architrave chimneypiece and first
floor right-hand room a chimneypiece with a dentilled cornice. Small room between
has fielded panel cupboard. There is no moulded plasterwork except for the
entrance hall passage which has a moulded cornice and reeded borders. The large
kitchen fireplace retains its simple wooden chimneypiece. Most of the C18 fielded
2-panel doors survive in moulded doorcases and some of the doors have C19 applied
reeded moulding to match the other early C19 panelled doors. The stairs in the 2-
storey outshut are late C19 and have turned balusters and heavy turned newel.
Garrets in attic not inspected but apparently though not partitioned there is a
fireplace.
Including area railings to front with spearheads to shafts set in granite plinth
and with boot scraper either side of porch.
Ponsford House was reputedly built for Dr Ponsford's mistress in circa 1740.
This substantial early C18 house has most of its internal joinery intact. The
exterior has also been largely unaltered since the C19 and is an important
architectural element in Cross Street.

Listing NGR: SX7538486034

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26618880

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

• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)