Details
MARKET DRAYTON C.P.
SJ 63 SE
9/94
STAFFORD STREET (south-east side)
The Grove
7.5.52
GV
II
House, used as schoolbuilding. Circa 1770, for Colonel Thomas D'Avenant. Red brick with gauged orange brick dressings, rendered plinth and some painted stone details. Hipped plain tile roof. Double-pile plan with semi-circular bow to south-east, flanking canted bays to sides and service wing to north-east. Two storeys and attic.
South-west (garden) front: plinth, ground-floor cill band, fluted plat band, modillion cornice ,and parapet with moulded stone coping. Pair of brick ridge stacks. 1:3:1 bays with central full-height bow window; glazing bar sashes with painted stone cills and gauged-brick heads. Central first floor Venetian window with cill, fluted piers supporting entablature with fluted frieze and moulded architrave to central light. C18 lead downpipes in angles of bow with fluted rainwater heads.
Left-hand return (entrance) front: 2:3 bays with full-height half-octagonal bay to right. Doorway in second bay from left consisting of C18 door with six octagonal panels, impost band, radial fanlight, octagonal-panelled reveals and soffit, moulded architrave and Doric doorcase consisting of fluted three-quarter columns supporting sections of entablature and open triangular pediment. Three stone steps up with low stone retaining wall to left. Right-hand return front of 3:2 bays, also with full-height half-octangonal bay to left. 3:3 bays to rear. Two storey former service wing adjoining to north-east. Three brick ridge stacks. 9 x 2 bays; glazing bar sashes with gauged-brick heads.
Interior: largely complete of circa 1770. Entrance corridor with fluted pilaster strips and five bay groined vault. Round archway to staircase hall with fluted pilaster strips, moulded architrave and panelled reveals and soffit.
Central ground-floor front room: oval plan. Dado panelling. Frieze with palmette enrichment and modillion cornice with paterae. C18 fireplace. Pair of round-arched recesses flanking curved six panelled door at rear.
Left-hand ground-floor-rear room (former library): central elliptical archway with fluted pilasters, moulded architrave, scrolled key,and panelled reveals and soffit. Arched cupboards flanking former fireplace on end wall, with ogee-headed pigeon-holes and moulded architraves.
Staircase hall: ground-floor with fluted frieze and moulded cornice, and first floor entablature with saltire and anthemion enrichment, modillion cornice with paterae, and acanthus enrichment above. C18 three-flight rectangular-well oak staircase with loadings, open string with cut brackets, stick balusters (probably replacing former turned balusters) ramped moulded handrail and wreathed foot reveal. Ramped dado panelling. C18 dog-leg back staircase with landings, open string with cut brackets, stick balusters and ramped handrail.
First-floor corridor with fluted frieze and moulded cornice. Round archway to staircase hall with fluted pilaster strips, moulded architrave and panelled reveals and soffit.
Central first-floor front room: oval plane dado panelling. Frieze with amphora and enrichment depicting musical instruments, modillion cornice with paterae, and acanthus, enrichment above. Venetian window with Roman Doric columns and pilasters supporting entablature with mutules and cornice. Pair of scalloped round-arched niches in opposite wall, each with central medallion and radiating husk trails to paterae. Central curved six panelled door with moulded architrave and panelled reveals. C18 fireplace with marble surround, three-quarter Corinthian columns, architrave with garlands, husk drops, swags and medallions, enriched frieze with paterae and buchrania to sections broken forward over columns, and modillion cornice.
Left-hand first-floor rear room: C18 fireplace consisting of pilaster strips with drops, and brackets supporting frieze with anthemion and palmette ornament, oval paterae above pilasters, and enriched cornice. C18 six-panelled doors throughout, many retaining their C18 door furniture.
In 1751 Colonel Thomas D'Avenant married Lady Ann Corbet of Adderley and in the 1770's The Grove was built for them. The Colonel died in 1798 and the house was sold. The house has some stylistic similarities to Barlaston Hall (circa 1756) near Stoke-on-Trent, probably by Sir Robert Taylor. The plan form, with a bow and two canted bays, and other details, like the octagonal panels in the door, are particularly reminiscent. It is possible that, if it is not actually by Taylor himself, The Grove is by a craftsman who worked at Barlaston or by an architect who was familiar with it.
This entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 3 November 2016.
