Description

TEIGNGRACE STOVER PARK
SX 87 SW

7/219 Stover House

GV II*

Country house, in use as school since 1932. 1776-81 for James Templer, with
additions of circa 1830, possibly by Philip Hardwick for eleventh Duke of Somerset.
4 bucket heads have initials J.T. and date 1776. Haytor granite ashlar with
rusticated quoins and rusticated basements with band above and stringcourse at
ground floor window level. Parapet and cornice with mutules. Portland stone
porte-cochere, coated slate hipped roof with lead roll hips and 4 stacks with
classical pots. Almost square plan. 2 storeys, sub-basement, basement and attic.
Symmetrical 1:3:1 bay north-west and south-east elevations, the centre 3 windows
full height canted bays. Canted bay on south-east entrance front has round arched
pilastered doorway with C19 glazed doors. A large Doric hexastyle porte-cochere
was built in front of the entrance circa 1830. The centre columns are spaced to
accommodate a mounting block on the stylobate, above there is a Doric entablature.
The door is approached up ballustraded paved stone quadrant stairs to a landing
which breaks forward; to either side a cast iron lantern topped with a ducal
coronet. South-west and north-east side elevations of 4 bays. Over the centre of
south-west side granite fronted attic window rises above the parapet, as also does
the stair tower at the centre of the north-east side, both probably additions of
circa 1830. Flat-arched window openings with plain sills : original hornless sashes
except 3 lower sashes to north-west. Original 2-light casements to sub-basement
with 6 panes each and ferramenta. 6-pane sashes to basement. Entrance floor has
sashes of 6 panes over 6 and first floor has 3 over 6 panes. Small flat roofed
dormers with glazing bars behind parapet. Stone ballustrade.to basement area.
Linked to the south-west corner is a single storey office of rusticated granite
with wide band below eaves of a hipped slate roof, two by one bay elevations with
6-pane hornless sash windows. Adjoining 2-storey rendered service block has sash
windows within blind arcading below moulded cornice and blocking course and hipped
slate roof.
Interior: almost symmetrical plan with central north-south corridor reflected on
all floors. Sub-basement was store and cellar, stone floored and vaulted.
Basement was kitchens and service rooms with stone floors. At entrance level were
the reception rooms. On the first floor were the main bedrooms and on the second
floor chiefly staff accommodation. The principal floor comprises entrance hall and
saloon on the east-west axis with a collonaded screen with staircases off either
end of it on the north-south axis. (Main stair to the north). In the north-west
and south-west corners are reception rooms with perhaps more private rooms in the
opposite corners. The principal east room (entrance hall) entered from vestibule
off port-cochere, has a distyle screen opposite with fluted columns, engaged
responds, Adam style capitals and decorative plasterwork entablature with cornice
with mutules. Round arch north and south to staircase lobbies; double doors to
saloon centrally framed. Principal room (saloon) with mantlepiece of white and
buff veined marble, Ionic columns with entablature blocks, dentil cornice, central
panel with swagged urn and C19 grate with brass mounts. Adam style plasterwork
ceiling with fluted and enriched roundel surrounded by oval necklace of small
circular reliefs of garlanded profiles. Shutters to canted bay have cross-fluted
panels and enriched casings. Mahogany doors north and south have architraves with
vase-interlace friezes to the entablatures. The south-west room (possibly drawing
room) is richly decorated : Adam style plasterwork ceiling with enriched fluted
central roundel, swagged border and oval medallions of the Pascal Lamb. Strips at
either end with paired gryphons. Enriched cornice and dado cornice. Marble
mantlepiece with polychrome inlay, splat pilasters and fine central relief of a
shepherd boy. Plasterwork overmantle with classical scene in a roundel surroundcd
by wreaths and swags. The entablatures to the architraves of the two mahogany
doors have friezes of flower baskets and twining wreaths. At the east end a door
between 2 niches of oval plan with embellished fluted vaults. The north-west room
(possibly dining room) is simpler : plasterwork ceiling in the Adam style of
central rose in square frame with Templer arms in oval bay-leaf wreaths and end
strips with classical relief. Marble mantlepiece with polychrome inlay has frieze
of urns and paterae and C19 grate with brass mounts. Plasterwork overmantle with
rectangular frame around circular classical plaque surrounded by garlands and vine
swags. In the south-east corner a simple room (possibly once a library) has
plasterwork overmantle and cornice. All the reception rooms have mahogany doors
some with remains of original brass door furniture with swagged mounts. The main
staircase is cantilevered with open string and open round-ended well; the
balustrade is of wrought iron with cast embellishments and a wreathed. mahogany
handrail. Adam style plasterwork ceiling cornice with paired acanthus brackets and
buccrania. Buccrania friezes also to the doorcases and round classical plaques on
the walls. At first floor level, round arch to central corridor of 3 bays
separated by round panelled arches on pilasters with swagged consoles, the outer
bays with flat ceilings, centre roses and pendentives. The middle bay has a
centre ring, once open to the second floor where there must have been a circular
ballustrade beneath the existing Adam style dome with swags and paterae and an
oculus (now with C20 light). Much original pine flooring exists throughout the
house and there are said to be some original fireplaces on the first floor. The
interiors are of excellent quality. It seems possible that entrance was originally
on south side and that secondary staircase projection here is later. Colvin's
reference to drawing of Stover Lodge (former name) in Hardwick family collection
suggests porte-cochere is by Philip Hardwick.
Stover was home of James Templer (d.1782) who made his fortune completing
government works in Madras and Plymouth. His son James II (lawyer) and grandson,
George, built the Stover Canal and Haytor tramway respectively, both lived at
Stover before purchase by eleventh duke of Somerset 1829.
H Colvin, Biographical dictionary of Architects, 1978 p.389
A J Key, Stover the storey of a school, 1982.

Listing NGR: SX8384674204

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17536132

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

• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)