Black Hall

Details

NORTH HUISH SX75NW AVONWICK 4/456 Black Hall 9.2.61

GV II*

Country house. Circa 1820s possibly by R Brown of London for Hubert Cornish on the site of an earlier house. Extended in 1881 for Frederick James Cornish Bowden. Stuccoed stone rubble, the front and right hand side have been roughcast and lined out. Hipped roof behind the parapet. Rendered stacks. To the right of centre a tent shaped cupola with a finial. Plan: Square on plan facing south; 3 rooms deep with 2 principal front rooms and a central entrance hall/passage leading to the stair well to the left of centre. There are small rooms to the right and left of the stair well and 2 larger rooms at the back, both with a slightly higher floor level to allow for the kitchen and bakehouse in the basement below which has external from the rear (north) where the ground is at a much lower level; the servants' hall is also in the basement to the right and there are cellars under the front rooms containing the dairy etc. In 1881 the house was extended on the left hand (west) side, set back from the front, probably servants' rooms with its own staircase. Exterior: 2 storeys and basement attic windows at the side only. Symmetrical 5 window front with a pair of giant pilasters at either end of only two thirds height with a Doric entablature over which there are 2 small pilasters supporting the main cornice which breaks forward over the pilasters; the blocking course rises at the centre with a rectangular panel. The windows are large early C19 12-pane sashes with plain cills. A wide central doorway with a glazed door and side lights, the door is flush panelled and reeded below and has margin lights above and a rectangular overlight across the top with a cast iron anthelion decorated grille. The original porch has been replaced in C20 by an open porch with 2 pairs of Doric columns supporting an entablature. The right hand east return is 2 storeys and attic, also symmetrical 3 windows disposed towards the right (back), C19 12-pane sashes, attic windows are smaller 6-pane sashes, ground floor left a C19 glazed garden door; the corners have giant pilasters, paired to the left as at the front, and a wide band at first floor cill level. The rear elevation is 2 storeys and basement not quite symmetrical as the ground slopes to the left and the first floor right hand windows are at higher level. The first and second floor windows are C19 12-pane sashes, the basement sashes have 20 panes. The 1881 addition on the left hand (west) side, set back from the front, is built of yellow brick with a corbelled brick eaves cornice and a hipped slate roof with lead rolls and finials; asymmetrical arrangement of sash windows and an oriel with a step hipped roof and finial. Interior: Entrance hall/passage has an egg and dart cornice and coving to scrolled ceiling boarder; and elliptical arch with a groin vault at the end of the passage with an egg and dart archivolt key motif introdes and fluted pilasters. The passage leads to a very fine stair well, almost oval on plan, the geometric staircase has stick balusters and a moulded mahogany handrail wreathed over the curtail, and with shaped tread ends; the first stage of the stairwell has round-headed niches with egg and dart mouldings; the stairwell has an elliptical vault with moulded ribs and very pretty shallow domed lantern with an acanthus leaf boss, the entablature of the dome has an anthelion frieze, egg and dart cornice and key motif soffit frieze. Most of the interior joinery survives including mahogany 6-panel doors. The drawing room to front left has a fine cornice with deep relief palmettes, the ceiling border has leaves and flowers and the centrepiece has palmettes and large swirling acanthus leaves; a white marble chimneypiece with slender detached Ionic columns, panelled window shutters are intact. The dining room to the front right has a Victorian moulded plaster ceiling and a Victorian local grey marble chimneypiece. The back room to the left (morning room?) has a moulded plaster cornice with anthelion egg and dart and bead and reel, the centrepiece with acanthus leaves; the panelled window shutters are intact. The first floor rooms have coved ceilings and moulded cornices. The kitchen in the basement is complete with 2 large fireplaces and cupboards. Note: From the mid C17 Black Hall was the seat of the Fowells of Fowellscombe their main seat in Ugborough parish (qv) and now in ruins. In 1815 Black Hall was sold to Hubert Cornish who built the present house, landscaped the grounds and constructed the small estate village of Avon Wick; estate cottages, houses and lodges etc are also included in this list.

Listing NGR: SX7128657641

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

101368

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.