Description

823/0/10089
29-MAY-03

BRIDGNORTH
OLDBURY
Westwood House

II

Early-C18 former farmhouse. Red brick with plain clay tile roofs, parapeted to main ranges except for shallower-pitched front slope of main range, which is slate. Refenestrated and extended in mid-C19. Undergoing major repair and minor alteration at time of inspection [Jan.2003]. 3-storeys.

PLAN: Double-depth plan of 5 bays aligned east-west with entrance elevation on north; lower mid-C19 additions attached to west gable ends of both main ranges, that to the rear taller than the front, which projects further to the west.

EXTERIOR: NORTH elevation symmetrical with tripartite sashes on ground floor flanking late-C20 reconstituted stone Doric portico replacing gabled porch (the outline of which is still visible) over 8-panel door, the upper panels of which are glazed. First-floor windows are 6-paned sashes to left and right, 4-paned sash to centre, all like the ground-floor windows with painted wedge lintels. 5 6-paned sashes of reduced proportions directly below the eaves. Parapeted EAST elevation concealing twin-span roofs has 2 windows on each floor, all segmental-headed with cross casements to ground and first floors, blind to the second, that to the rear 'cut' by the steep pitch of the roof, simple openings to the cellar; central integral end stack. WEST elevation of main house is similar with cross-window to left on first floor largely concealed by C19 addition and a blind window directly above; central integral end stack with another behind the parapet to the centre of the rear range. SOUTH elevation is less symmetrical than front with 4 segmental-headed cross-windows and one single-light casement on first floor; central 6-panel door on the ground floor (a gabled porch has recently been removed) flanked by a French window to the left and a 3-light window with timber mullions and transoms to the right; three early-C21 and 4 late-C20 rooflights. C19 additions to WEST have segmental-headed casement windows, including a 2-light leaded window on the ground floor of the gable end of the lower range, which has a plank door to the rear in the angle with the higher range. Brick wall with stone-capped gate piers attached to north-west corner of lower range continues in semi-circle to north-east to form low, partly drystone ha-ha wall.

INTERIOR: Ground and first floor rooms have chamfered cross-beams (formerly boxed), 6-panel doors and panelled window shutters to some rooms. Early-C18 open-well staircase in rear entrance hall has turned newel, moulded ramped handrail and turned balusters, 2 to each tread, with plain, possibly altered, open string. Cast-iron fireplace in left ground-floor room and large open fireplace (recently reopened at time of inspection) with timber lintel in right ground-floor room, to rear of which the C19 stack and bread oven serving the C19 addition have recently been removed; this addition has a king-post truss. 6-panel door (the top panels of which are separately top-hung) beneath the staircase leads directly to straight-flight stone steps down to the cellar, which has brick floors and brick and stone shelving. Dog-leg staircase to attic has balustrade with turned balusters to top; plank doors with H- and strap-hinges including to eaves and central storage areas. Roofs to each parallel range of 5 bays; Heavy pegged and numbered timbers with curved principal trusses and double tenoned purlins, the upper in line with the collars, the lower in line with tie beams, which are covered with wide oak floor boards.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26633577

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

• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  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)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5