Details
WEYMOUTH
SY6778NE RODWELL ROAD
873-1/23/252 (West side)
12/12/53 Netherton Nursing Home
(Formerly Listed as:
RODWELL ROAD
No.4
Netherton House)
GV II*
Large house, now nursing home. C17 and mid C18 (RCHME).
Portland ashlar, some rendering, slate roof.
PLAN: the parallel range 3-storey hipped block with parapets
to front and to Chickerell Road return is ostensibly mid-C18,
but encloses earlier work of the C17 which can still be seen
within.
EXTERIOR: main front is 5-windowed, 9 above 12-paned sashes in
flush moulded boxes, with central portico on unfluted Ionic
columns to a pulvinated frieze and dentil cornice with closed
pediment, over a 6-panel part-glazed door in a moulded
architrave. There are rendered gable stacks, and 2 further
stacks to the rear wall.
The return, left, has a door at first floor approached by a
concrete staircase, and two 12-pane sashes at the ground
floor. The rear range sets slightly forward, and has a single
4-pane sash at each level, with keystone. A further wall with
blank openings to the parapet and sashes below returns to the
left. The right return has a construction joint, stepped at
half height, and not flush at the parapet level, with two
12-pane sashes at first floor, and 2 blocked windows at ground
floor.
INTERIOR: the early beams referred to in RCHME are boxed in
and no longer visible; most of the detail is of the C18, much
of it of high quality, and in good condition; the
sub-divisions entailed by current use have been effected with
minimum disturbance to detail.
The former basement has been filled. On the ground floor the
former Library has an elliptical recess with keystones, and
dentil cornice, with a dado of fielded panelling. The
fireplace has a frieze with swags, a moulded mantelshelf, and
eared moulded architrave. The rear right room retains working
shutters, which in many rooms are now fixed; a moulded
cornice, and fireplace with C19 cast-iron insert and surround
of de Morgan tiles. The inner lobby has a wide elliptical arch
with panelled intrados and keystone. Ground floor left has a
deep boxed beam, and moulded cornice, also lift-up shutters,
and a fine rococo fire surround.
The generous open-well staircase, formerly lit from the rear
wall, has turned newels and slender turned balusters, with a
swept handrail, and wall dado panelling. The open string has
scrolled treads.
On the first-floor landing are two C17 painted panelled doors,
and the outer wall has 2 arched but blocked openings, one of
these interrupted by the stair. The top landing has a wide
elliptical arch on the inner wall, filled with painted C17
panelling, and a dentil cornice.
A first-floor front room, referred to as King George's
bedroom, has an egg-and-dart cornice, and a stripped pine fire
surround with a pair of doves in high relief, and Rococo
swags, with a marble interior; another room at this level has
an Art Nouveau fire surround with mirror over capped by an
open scrolled pediment, and modillion cornice, and a third
room has a Rococo fireplace.
Formerly known as the Old Manor House, this remains one of the
more important survivals in early Weymouth buildings. The care
taken in rescuing and refurbishing the property is recognised
by the Weymouth Civic Society plaque.
(RCHME: Dorset, South-East: London: 1970-: 343; Ricketts E:
The Buildings of Old Weymouth: Melcombe Regis and Westham:
Weymouth: 1976-: 41).
Listing NGR: SY6750978600
