Survey Data
Reg No
30406116
Rating
National
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Historical
Previous Name
Castlegar House
Original Use
Country house
In Use As
Country house
Date
1800 - 1895
Coordinates
179886, 239279
Date Recorded
--/--/--
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached country house, built 1803-7, having three-bay two-storey original south front elevation with bowed entrance bay fronted by pedimented Ionic porch, seven-bay three-storey current north entrance elevation having porch of 1893. Four-bay east side elevation having pedimented shallow two-bay breakfront. Service wing added to west. Hipped skirt slate roof with limestone parapet. Rendered walls with limestone quoined pilasters and limestone sill course to first floor. Square-headed window openings, paired to pedimented breakfront and tripartite with pediments to end bays of orgininal ground floor front, all with one-over-one pane timber sliding sash frames. Round-headed doorway set into square-headed surround. Oval entrance hall with paired recessed Tower of the Winds columns and entablature and domed ceiling leads to stairs hall and then to back hall, latter being entrance hall since 1893 and having paired columns and domed ceiling with swags and foliage. This hall leads to top-lit staircase hall having domed landing with yellow Siena Scagliola Composite columns and dome on fan pendentives, ceiling having swags and cornice being dentillated. Back hall also domed and has Doric columns and entablature. Dining room updated 1898 and drawing room updated 1904. House set in own grounds, with courtyard outbuildings to west, and walled garden further to west.
Appraisal
This house has been regarded as the architect Richard Morrison's grandest villa. Its design incorporates domes to the original oval hall and stairs hall replete with Classical columns and entablature, and particularly fine plasterwork. The later works add to the building's interest, reflecting changing architectural and interior design fashions. The facades were carefully considered and display typical Classical features such as pediments and a portico, and Renaissance features such as tripartite windows, with high-quality craftsmanship in stone throughout.