History

Gentry house of mid to later C18 date. Memorials in Battle church refer to Henry Mitchell of Battle House died 1782 aged 77, his wife died 1784, and his son Thomas died 1805, aged 68, and wife died 1814, and to David Kirkby died 1850 aged 56 and his widow, died 1877. David Kirkby Esq. is given as owner on the 1847 Tithe map. The house is said to have been built or rebuilt for an owner, a major in the army, who married one of the family of Nannau, Merioneth, and when his wife inherited Nannau, the couple moved to Nannau. Evidence was found that the bay windows are C18 and had flat roofs originally.

Exterior

Substantial house, rubble stone with slate roof overhanging at eaves, and large stone end stacks. Basement, two storeys and attic, three-window range. Raised plinth, basement well around three sides. Three large renewed hipped dormers with 16-pane sashes and slated sides. Three first floor cambered headed large 12-pane horned sashes with brick heads and stone sills. Two large squared stone canted bay windows with hipped slate roofs and C19 4-pane sashes, stone sills. Basement window under left bay, with stone voussoirs, blocked window to right bay. Centre 6-panel door with four fielded panels, Georgian Gothic tracery to fanlight, in renewed timber doorcase of side piers, frieze with consoles and flat top. Front door stands on a large stone-flagged platform, barrel vaulted below with stone steps up from each side and front iron railings. Six steps up from W, 3 from E. The basement has stone voussoirs to broad cambered front arch. Basement plank door with plain fanlight within, with wrought-iron security gate. Right end wall has 12-pane horned sash to ground floor. Windowless left end. Rear has 16-pane hornless sash each floor to left, brick head to lower one, stone voussoirs to upper one, and back door to left of centre with stone voussoirs, and big 8-pane overlight. Rebuilt C20 rear block to right of centre and 16-pane sash each floor to far right, each with stone voussoirs.

Interior

Hall with fine open-well timber stair of C18 type: turned balusters of column on vase pattern, turned column newels, ramped rails, rising on three sides up to landing with similar rail on three sides. Front door has panelled reveals and doorcase with pilasters, moulded arch and keystone. Fielded-panelled doors generally. E room has dentil cornice of late C18 to early C19 type and simple white marble fireplace with roundels at upper angles. C19 cast-iron grate. Bay window has fielded panels below windows, probably C18, and one leaf of shutters is also fielded panelled. W room has moulded dado rail with timbered dado and C18 moulded painted wood cornice. Behind W room is passage with fielded panelled door from hall, another within in N wall and oak service stairs to S blocking an arch in the back wall (arch corresponds to one in basement, and is opposite another into the rebuilt rear utility room). Smaller NW room has C19 iron grate in modern surround.
Deep cellar down 14 oak steps. Two big arches at N end, one under back wall and one under rear addition, both with stone voussoirs, function uncertain. Under E side is full length very broad stone barrel vault (buttressed by piers in the centre part). At S end is C18 or early C19 partition wall with oak door into S end wine-cellar with brick and stone wine-bins. W side rooms have plastered ceilings and fireplaces with stone voussoirs in W wall. The NW room was kitchen with one bread oven within fireplace, another in large C19 plastered corner addition. SW room has window in S wall. Plank doors generally in basement.

Reasons for Listing

Included as a large mid to later C18 house with good surviving interior details including staircase and vaulted cellar.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29485868

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

• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)