Description

WERRINGTON WERRINGTON PARK
SX 38 NW
9/312 Werrington Park (house) (previously
listed as Werrington House,
23.8.57 Werrington, Broadwoodwidger R.D,
Devon)

GV I

Country house. Probably C16 incorporating parts of the earlier medieval fabric.
Partly remodelled in 1641 (datestone) for Sir Francis Drake and later after 1649 for
Sir William Morice and his son. Extended in the early C18 for Sir Nicholas Morice
and Sir William Morice. Pevsner suggests that the later alterations and extensions
may have been by William Kent. The earlier part was partly damaged by fire in 1974.
Stone rubble rear range; extended at front in stuccoed brick. Slate roofs with
hipped and gable ends. Rendered shafts to the axial and end stacks of the front
range and projecting end and lateral stacks to the rear range.
Plan: The house is arranged around a courtyard with the earlier C16 range to the rear
on the north and the C18 house to the front on south. The rear range extends further
to the right (east) and has two wings which project to its south from the left hand
(west) end and from near the centre, connecting with the front to form a courtyard
plan.
The original arrangement is uncertain and by the early C16 the house was already
fairly large being one of the residences of the Lord Abbot of Tavistock. However, in
1641, Sir Francis Drake (nephew of the admiral) was responsible for the remodelling
which probably included the addition of a 3-storey porch and the stair projection to
the rear of the passage.
The house was remodelled by Sir William Morice after 1649 and the eastern (right
hand) side of the earlier range was altered. Sometime between 1704 and 1740 the
house was extended on the south. Otto Peter recorded in his guide to Werrington of
1906 that there was a datestone 'NMK 1704' which was probably contemporary with the
marriage of Sir Nicholas and Lady Katherine Herbert, daughter of Thomas, 8th Earl of
Pembroke. In 1740 Sir William Morice demolished the parish church and churchyard
which had stood close to the house. The house was partly altered by the Dukes of
Northumberland in the C19.
Fire partly gutted the rear of the house in 1974 and part of the roof structure has
been replaced; therefore the development of the earlier house is uncertain. The
earlier long low rear range (on the north) is on ground that slopes down towards the
east (right). The three storey porch to left (west) of centre leads into a wide
passage with stair projection to rear. On the west (left hand) side of the passage
are two rooms; the far room a large kitchen heated by an end stack and the middle
room was divided in the C19 to form a dairy and scullery. The original purpose of
these rooms are uncertain and many of the earlier features have been covered over by
the complete and unaltered C19 fittings. The chamfered late C16 or early C17 arches
to these rooms appear to have been partly reset. Above the dairy is a very low room
with heavy floor joists and above are tall attic rooms which were gutted by the 1974
fire. On the eastern (right hand) side of the passage is a large servant's hall
which is heated by a large projecting lateral stack. The chambers above contain the
remains of detailing probably from the 1641 remodelling. The two low wings which
project to the front (south) from the kitchen and servant's hall are C17 or earlier
with C19 detailing covering earlier features including a very large fireplace in the
west wing.
Beyond to the east (right) the house appears to have been remodelled and possibly
extended by Sir William Morice, the extension with low cellars and tall lofty
panelled state rooms above. The panelling, windows and staircase suggests mid to
late C17 date, surviving intact and are of fine quality. The house therefore temp.
mid C17 to late C17 was of quite grand, the higher end was on the east (right) and
service rooms were to the west (left). The early C18 extension of the mansion
comprised a double depth block on the south side of the courtyard abutting the front
wings of the earlier house. It is uncertain how much of an earlier structure was
incorporated although the southern ends of the front wings to the earlier range
appear to have been remodelled rather than extended and rebuilt. The front block has
three principal rooms, a dining room (previously morning room), saloon and drawing
room across the front with a wide corridor running across the entire length to the
rear. On the first floor the plan is repeated with the principal bedrooms to the
front and a corridor across the rear. The stair was accommodated to rear right and
back stair to rear left, probably in the remodelled front ends of the earlier front
wings.
Exterior: south elevation of two storeys with a symmetrical 3:3:3 window front;
central full height canted bay with hipped end. On the ground floor the central
glazed door with pediment above is flanked by two C19 narrow 8-pane sashes and to
right and left the central 12-pane sashes have moulded architraves and apron
balustrades and are flanked by two plain 12-pane sashes. On the first floor are nine
6 and 4-pane sashes. The right and left side elevations are 3:1:1 and 1:1:3 bays
respectively the entrance bays break forward and there is a large circa C19 porch on
the right side with a moulded cornice and parapet.
The south front of the earlier range has an almost symmetrical arrangement from the
courtyard with a central 3-storey porch with datstone FAD 1641 flanked by two C19
crenellated outshuts and 2-light mullion windows above. The continuation of the
earlier range to the east (right) contains at least one C17 mullion and transom
window.
The rear elevation to the north has an asymmetrical 5:1:4 window arrangement with
five especially fine quality 12 over 9-pane late C17 sashes with thick glazing bars.
The central projecting lateral hall stack is flanked by two C17 mullion and transom
windows with lead cames to the glazing and two three-light cavetto moulded mullion
windows above. The two storey range on the west has tall, partly blocked mullion and
transom windows with 3-light mullion windows above.
Interior: Front (south) block has outstanding quality circa 1730s French Rococo
plasterwork, chimney-pieces, and complete joinery. The corridor across the rear
contains C19 plaster medallions of the Duke and Dutchess of Northumberland.
Cantilever open-well stair with wrought iron balustrade and fine circa 1730s or 1740s
Rococo plasterwork depicting the arts and sciences. Smoking room and library in
remodelled rear east wing have circa late C18 or early C19 ribbed moulded plasterwork
decoration to the ceilings and fine C18 chimney-pieces. The earlier rear range on
the north contains complete and unaltered C19 fittings and fixtures to the kitchen.
Several of the granite doorframes have been resited, at least one having been
narrowed when the arch was remodelled from a 4-centred arch to a two-centred arch.
The chamber above the servant's hall has a fine ovolo-moulded doorcase probably
contemporary with the 1641 remodelling and early C17 panelling which has probably
been reset in the bedroom on the east. The eastern (right hand) part of the earlier
range was only partly accessible at time of survey (1987) but contains cellars on
ground floor with massive crossbeams and close-set floor joists, largely unmoulded.
Fine quality panelling in the chambers above, probably used as state rooms by the
Morice family in the mid to late C17 with bolection moulded and raised and fielded
panelling. A guide of 1860 described painted portraits of Charles II and James.II
which had been integral with the panelling. Late C17 stair with moulded ramped rail
and turned balusters.
Roof structure of earlier range replaced on west side. (Not inspected on east side).
The west wing has six late C16 early C17 trusses with morticed apices, diagonally set
ridges, halved, lap-jointed and pegged collars and trenched and threaded purlins. Two
span king post roof to front range.
Peter 0, The Manor and Park of Werrington, 1906
Pevnser, N The Buildings of England, Devon, 1958
Rendell, J Gateway to Cornwall, 1981.

Listing NGR: SX3320287118

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q38939290

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.

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  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]