Survey Data
Reg No
14942029
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Historical, Social
Previous Name
Mount Heaton
Original Use
Country house
Date
1760 - 1800
Coordinates
209686, 190381
Date Recorded
10/08/2004
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached five-bay two-storey over basement country house, built c.1780, with bowed side elevations and altered front elevation with flanking three-stage towers and castellated entrance porch. Extensive remodeling works c.1960 with attic storey and modern extensions added to north and south and castellation and labels removed from front elevation. Pitched tiled roof with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls with rusticated plinth course to front elevation. Limestone quoins and cornice to side and rear elevations. Square-headed window openings to front elevations with rendered surrounds, replacement timber casement and sash windows and limestone sills. Square-headed window openings to rear elevation with tooled limestone surrounds with keystones, limestone sills and timber sash windows. Steel windows to attic. Arched door opening to castellated porch with carved sandstone surround and timber double door accessed up limestone steps. Door opening to garden elevation comprises square-headed door opening flanked by sidelights with a limestone surround with keystones and accessed by steps flanked by cast-iron railings.
Appraisal
The front elevation of this eighteenth-century house has been greatly altered and re-modelled over the years and has lost its castellated parapet, window labels and Gothic features. Fortunately, the rear elevation remains surprisingly untouched and retains its elegant classically inspired Georgian features such as the finely carved limestone cornice and window surrounds. During works to the house c.1960 an attic storey was added and the castellated parapet and labels removed. Located in the Mount Saint Joseph Abbet complex, this former house, monastery, church and school together form an interesting group of related structures. This house and estate were given by Arthur Moore, MP, to the Cistercian Order in 1879 who established Mount Saint Joseph Abbey here.