History

A house of the late C17 or early C18 in its present form; there is, however, fine panelling with a Jacobean fireplace and overmantel in the parlour. The left lateral stone and brickwork chimney which serves this fireplace is slightly misaligned with the rest of the structure, and may partially survive from a previous house; possibly the elaborately carved fireplace was also retained in situ.

Exterior

A 3-storey 4-window house in an irregular English Garden Wall bond with sandstone rusticated quoins. The roof is of slate with coped gables to front and rear, a large lateral stone and brickwork chimney to left and a smaller one to right. The house has 2 large gables to front and to rear: the front gables are linked by a parapet wall at mid height. The middle 2 windows of the top storey at front are within this parapet and are walled up in brickwork: it is likely that these were intended as false windows.

The windows of the ground and first storeys are of 12 panes and mostly of hornless sash type. The 2 top-storey windows are modern replacements. Six-panel main door right of centre with overlight and pedimented canopy on deep brackets.

The house has a low modern extension at right and the rear doors and windows are all modern replacements.

Interior

The house is planned with a central entrance hallway between the 2 main reception rooms; this has a limestone flag floor and a staircase to the rear with 2 quarter-landings and turned balusters. Six-panel doors to the main rooms. The drawing room at left is fully wainscotted and retains a fine Jacobean firplace with armorial overmantel. The fireplace has Ionic pilasters supporting an enriched ovolo. The overmantel is in 3 main panels separated by grotesque human and animal figures; one female holds a severed head, its ruff still attached. Above is a frieze with pagan-seeming imagery between brackets and a plain cornice. The main central panel features the Order of the Garter with Prince of Wales' Feathers centrally and the initials PC, and the side panels feature arms; that at right has the initials DA for Dorothy Ashpool.

Reasons for Listing

Listed at grade II* as a fine Queen Anne period farmhouse which has retained its gentrified character, with an exceptional surviving fireplace and overmantel in the principal room.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17741727

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

• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)