Description

IDEFORD OLCHARD LANE
SX 87 NE
4/97 Well
23.8.55
II*

Large house, divided into 3 in the late C20. Circa 1700, but possibly a remodelling
of an earlier building, some refurbishment of the late C18, circa mid C19
refenestration. Roughcast stone; slate roof, gabled at ends with sprocketted eaves,
rear stair wing gableted at end stacks with tone shafts, rear lateral stack to main
range projecting through the roof at the junction with the outshut, stack to stair
wing projecting through roof.
A high status 3 storey house consisting of a main range, 3 rooms wide, with left and
right rear outshuts under catslide roofs on either side of a large stair wing. The
main range has a central entrance into a large heated panelled entrance hall, a
principal room to the left (north) and a kitchen to the right (south). The entrance
hall is heated from the rear lateral stack, a doorway to the right of the stack opens
on to a fine dogleg stair in the rear wing, which has an outshut on the north side,
the stair rising to a landing on the second storey. The rear right outshut to the
main range provides an access corridor to the kitchen with a doorway in the entrance
hall adjacent to the stair doorway. The left hand ground floor room was also
panelled, although the panelling is said to no longer exist. 3 first floor panelled
rooms form a kind of piano nobile.
The plan form suggests an intriguing development from the traditional earlier 3 room
arrangement; the kitchen, to the right, corresponding to the lower end; the
traditional C17 'hall' recast as a fashionable entrance hall but still heated by a
lateral stack and the left hand ground floor room corresponding to the inner room.
The building could be a thorough remodelling of a late C16 or early C17 house or a
transitional plan type of circa 1700. Although some of the interior joinery is of
circa 1700 other details indicate a partial refurbishment of the late C18. In the
circa mid C19 the front elevation was refenestrated and a new porch was added. The
subdivision of the house into 3 has involved the provision of a new external stair to
the rear wing, but little alteration to the principal rooms.
3 storeys. Symmetrical 5-bay front, the bays flanking the central front door with
windows to the ground floor only, presumably providing more scope for the panelling
in the first floor central room. Central Roman Doric porch with engaged columns and
a triglyth frieze, front door with fielded panels. Ground floor windows, 2 on either
side of the front door, are tripartite sashes, 12 pane in the centre and 4 pane in
the outer lights; paired 12-pane sash above front door. Central second floor window
is a pair of 6-pane sashes, flanked by small tripartite sashes, 6-pane to the centre
lights, 2 to the outer lights, (some glazing bars missing).
The rear elevation has a plank and stud door leading into the kitchen outshut.
Interior Remarkable survival of panelling. The central ground floor room is panelled
throughout. The door surround is bolection-moulded and circa 1700 but the 2 leaf
door to the stairs below a blind round-headed arch with a key block and a blind
lunette feature appears to be late C18. The chimney-piece is C20 but otherwise the
room is entirely intact. The left-hand room of the front range not inspected at time
of survey but is said to have lost its panelling. The wide dog-leg stair has a
panelled dado and 3 flights with a moulded handrail and fine splat balusters with a
vase-shaped profile. The slightly odd construction of the balustrade on the first
flight suggests the possibility that it may have been applied to an earlier
staircase. The landing on the second storey is especially handsome with halved
balusters at the newel post.
First floor rooms right and centre also have intact panelling: the right hand room
has a bolection-moulded chimneypiece, the centre room has an Adam style chimneypiece
including marble work and delicate orders of moulding. First floor room left not
inspected but said also to be panelled. The second floor has been repartitioned.
The old list description refers to "a hearth of slates placed edgeways in diamond
patterns" in the attic, this feature was not seen at time of survey (1986).
The kitchen has a high ceiling with 2 chamfered cross beams; the fireplace has been
adapted for a range but is massive in scale. A chamfered stopped doorframe between
the kitchen and kitchen outshut is probably mid/late C17 and, if not re-used,
indicates the early origins of the building.
A fine house with a particularly impressive interior and an extremely interesting
plan form.
Well was formerly the property of Torre Abbey.
Seymour, D., Torre Abbey (1977), p.p. 269-272.

Listing NGR: SX8797877006

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17535212

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

• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Period property manual, victorian house manual 2 books collection set by ian rock
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)