Gatcombe House

Details

GATCOMBE

SZ48SE GATCOMBE 1353-0/3/95 Gatcombe House 21/07/51

GV II*

Mansion. Built in 1751 for Sir Edward Worsley, the younger branch of the family whose principal seat was Appuldurcombe. Alterations c.1794 when the semi basement was filled in. North and east elevations built of Isle of Wight tooled ashlar with ashlar dressings, south side rendered and west elevation brick. Hipped slate roof concealed by pediment and stone chimneystacks. 3 storeys and basement: 7 windows. North elevation has ramped up parapet. Central 3 bays project slightly with pediment and end pilasters and quoins. 12 pane sashes in moulded stone architraves with reeded keystones. Central 2nd floor round-headed niche. Central portico with quoins, moulded cornice and moulded surround with reeded keystone. Early C19 double doors with rectangular fanlight. Behind is door surround with eaved architraves and early C19 1/2 glazed double doors. Plinth, which before the floor was filled in in 1794 was the semi basement. East elevation has 6 windows, French windows on ground floor with early C19 glazing bars. South side also has 6 windows with early C19 French windows to ground floor. South elevation is in black header bond and has a recessed centre containing 1st floor Venetian window. (An engraving of the house of 1808 shows a Venetian window on the north front). Curved branched chimneystack to rear kitchens allows light to penetrate to this window. Attached to west is 2 storey extension in stone rubble with mid C19 windows. Interior has Entrance Hall with ovolo moulded cornice and 4 doors with 6 panels and broken pediments. Drawing Room has foliated cornice, dado rail and doorcases having reeded surround with paterae. Billiard Room has pine panelling on 2 sides and the door to the Dining Room is a double walnut door with palmete cornice. The Dining Room (formerly the Breakfast Room) has a rococo plastered ceiling with alternate corner floral baskets and pelicans or cranes. Fine mid C18 well staircase with 3 turned balusters to each tread and scrolled tread ends. Study has a marble fireplace with eared architraves. The kitchen has large early C18 stone fireplace with keystones and the walls are of header bond. The basement has wine bins with slate shelves. Some of the bedrooms have interesting features including a 1st floor fireplace with eared architraves and central swag panel, a bedroom with dado panelling and a marble fireplace with eared. architraves, another bedroom with eared architraved and moulded mantelpiece and a 2nd floor large panelled room on the east side, now sub-divided. It is apparent from the use of ashlar on the north and east fronts only (those seen from the original carriage drive) that the younger branch of the Worsley family found it difficult to keep up appearances on their income. One of the original Domesday Manors, together with Appuldurcombe and Nunwell House one of the 3 substantial C18 mansions on the Isle of Wight. (B O E Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: 745; C W R Winter: The Manor Houses of the Isle of Wight: 54 - 60; V.C.H.: 246).

Listing NGR: SZ4928885005

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

392695

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Doubleday, AH, The Victoria History of the County of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, (1912), 246
Winter, CWR, The Manor Houses of the Isle of Wight, (1985), 54-60
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, (1967), 745

End of official list entry

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