Description

LOSTWITHIEL FORE STREET (north side),
SX 15 NW
Lostwithiel
10/98 Edgcumbe House (formerly listed as
-
18.10.49 Municipal Offices)
GV II*

House, now municipal offices and library. Early C16, the original building now
forming a rear wing to the front range of circa 1750, with some later alterations.
C18 front of granite ashlar, with slurried slate mansard roof with stacks along
centre; the rear wing is in slatestone and granite rubble with dressings. Slate
roofs.
Overall L-plan, with the early range on a north/south axis and facing east; re-
oriented in the mid C18 with the addition of front range facing Fore Street. This
relegates the original building as a back wing to the left. The C18 range is a
single depth plan house, with central entrance to hall, principal room to left and
right, and rear stair tower. The rear range is entered from rear left. The rear
range may originally have had a wing projecting to front right and left, probably
demolished in the C18, but partially incorporated into Nos 22 and 22a Fore Street
(q.v.). What remains appears to be 3 rooms and through passage, with one room to
left and 2 to right, the outer rooms heated by gable end stacks, and the room to
right of the passage heated by rear lateral stack. The end room to right was
probably a kitchen; site of original stair not clear.
C18 building facing Fore Street of 2 storeys and attic on moulded plinth, 5 bays
wide. Ground floor has central double doors with overlight, plain pilasters and
hood on consoles, probably altered in mid C19. 2 plate-glass sashes to left and
right with granite voussoirs and band course over. First floor has 15-pane sashes
with voussoirs, moulded eaves cornice. 5 dormers, each with 12-pane sash and pitched
roof.
The rear of the main range has stair tower in coursed granite rubble with hipped
mansard roof; half-glazed door at ground floor, first floor 18-pane sash with thick
glazing bars, 2nd floor 12-pane sash. To the left of the stair tower, a rear
addition of 2 storeys, now part of Nos 22 and 22a Fore Street (q.v.).
Interior of main front range The entrance hall has C19 dado panelling, stair tower
to rear with access to rear wing to rear left. Fine C18 open well stair, with
turned and knopped balusters, three to each tread, moulded and ramped handrail with
fluted Ionic newels, moulded string and panelled sides; rises to second floor. At
ground floor to front right, the Mayor's Parlour; this has chimneypiece to rear of
room, marble with eared architrave, frieze with eagles' heads and dentilled mantel.
Plaster overmantel in eared architrave. Cornice with modillions and acanthus.
Fielded panelling with egg and dart mouldings and dado rail. Fine plasterwork to
ceiling. 6-panelled door with LH hinges, in architrave with egg and dart mouldings,
pulvinated frieze and pediment on consoles with acorns. Front left room at ground
floor has chimneypiece to rear with eared architrave and goat's head on frieze,
mantel on consoles. Panelled walls and dado rail, moulded plaster cornice.
At first floor, room to front right is the Clerk's Room; chimneypiece to rear with
Greek key frieze below mantel, marble pilasters. Plain moulded plaster cornice and
panelled shutters to windows. There are 3 rooms along the front, all with 6-panelled
fielded doors. The front-left room has chimneypiece with marble surround and moulded
mantel, plaster over-mantel; moulded plaster cornice. Small central room has similar
cornice.
At second floor, 6-panelled fielded door tofront central room.
Rear wing This is in 2 main ranges; to left, slightly higher roof level, with
corrugated asbestos roof with gable ends and gable end stack to right in granite
ashlar, with weathering and shaped top. This block is enclosed by large granite
quoins to right end; the wall steps back to the quoins. The second range to right,
at lower roof level, in slatestone rubble with some granite ashlar, also with granite
quoins to right end, and C19 slate roof with gable ends and no stacks; this range has
been much rebuilt, with wall thickness greater at ground floor than a first.
Possibly used in C19 as stable/outhouse range, incorporating earlier structure of C17
or earlier. The first range is in mixed slatestone and granite rubble, with some
granite ashlar; at ground floor roughly in 4 bays. From left, ground floor has
former door, now blocked, probably the passage entrance, and a 4-light C20 casement
with granite ashlar apron and re-used granite jambs. The second bay has projecting
bay window, with settings for mullions, wide C20 window and re-used moulded granite
jambs. Third bay has wide 4-centred arched chamfered doorway leading to inner C20
door with 6-pane light to left with granite lintel; wall to right rebuilt in
slatestone with C20 sash, then wall breaks back to end bay to right, with granite
quoins, wall stepped back at first floor level, also with granite quoins, under the
eaves, three 4-light C20 casements to right, and 3-light casement to left with cut
granite jambs, with C20 light to end left. The rear of this range has 3-light
chamfered granite window at ground floor to left, and remains of 2 granite window
surrounds at first floor; the wall is stepped back at first floor level, with a
straight joint to the left of the ground floor window.
The second range has central loading door with 2-light casement to right and left
under eaves; at ground floor, 3 doors, the central one with window inserted, 2 to
right with splayed granite lintels, to left with re-used moulded granite string
course. The stonework is much rebuilt.
Interior of early back range has been much altered by C19 and C20 partition walls, so
that the original plan is not clear; there appears to be a passage, with one room to
left, probably originally heated by gable end stack, and two rooms to right, the
inner one heated by rear lateral stack and the outer one by the gable end stack
which remains. The room to left has two 3 light granite chamfered windows to rear,
with chamfered mullions and some lattice glazing remaining. The remains of a 4-
centred arched doorway are concealed by a cupboard on the front wall, and there is a
corresponding window, formerly door, on the rear wall. The room to right of the
passage has a rear fireplace, with flat chamfered lintel, and recess to left, with
2-centred arched hollow-chamfered surround, with a drain, of uncertain function,
probably a laver. The front window of the room has a wide granite cill, with 3
circular holes, possibly a cream shelf, but of uncertain function. The end room to
right has the front bay window, and gable end fireplace with wide chamfered segmental
arch and former oven to left. There is a keeping hole to the right of the fireplace
and in the front wall, and in the rear wall are a range of recesses of uncertain
function, one with central mullion, and one with round granite head. Stair boxed in
to rear left of room. On the formerly external wall, now inside the later range, are
the weatherings from the granite stack.

Listing NGR: SX1035859816

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17531551

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

• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
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  For the Record
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)