Old Postern

Details

DARTINGTON SX7862-SX7962 DARTINGTON HALL 12/125 Old Postern 9.2.61

GV II*

House, formerly the parsonage, now an educational establishment. C15 remodelled and extended in late C16 or early C17, some early C18 alterations, extended in early C19, and remodelled and extended again in circa 1860 by William White; altered and restored in 1928-9 by Rex Gardner as a temporary house for the Elmhursts before the restoration of Dartington Hall was completed. Rendered stone with stone dressings, exposed lime stone rubble at the rear. Reg and scantle slate roofs with gabled ends, and crested ridge tiles, some early crested ridge tiles over the original front range. Rebuilt limestone chimney stacks with weathered set-offs. Plan: The C15 house occupies the main front range; it has a large 5-bay open hall and a 3-bay lower end to the left possibly also open to the roof. The plan of the original house is now probably incomplete and it is not certain whether it extended beyond the hall at the higher right hand end but there is a clean late C16 or early C17 truss on a right angle axis at this end in a 2-storey wing which extends to the rear; furthermore the inner room has circa early C17 moulded ceiling beams. The flooring of the lower end and presumably the hall was probably coval with the building of the higher end wing judging by the similarly moulded early C17 beams over the screens passage. beyond the inner rooms at the right hand and a small circa early C17 2-storey 1-room pan wing. Some improvements were carried out in the early C18 suggested by the early C18 panelled doors in various parts of the house. In the early C19 a large wing was built at right angles at the lower end flush with the front and extending to the rear with a stair well in the inside angle. In circa 1860 William White restored and extended the house he removed the floor only from the hall, remodelled the front in gothic style, built a second open hall behind the original hall with a gallery on 2 sides which provided first floor access from the main stairs (which he replaced) at the lower end of the first floor at the higher end. There are service ranges around 3 sides of the rear courtyard which appear to be largely the work of William White but may incorporate some earlier fabric. The kitchen which fills the centre of the courtyard is open to the roof and seems to be part of William White's rebuilding of the rear services. In 1928-9 Rex Gardner as the architect for the Elmharts restored the house removing much of William White's work; the front elevation was simplified including the hall window and the removal of a bay window at the lower end and the removal of battlements from the oriel on the porch. At the lower west side of the early C19 wing R Gardner added a lean-to roof extension in the form of a summer house. Inside Gardner altered W White's timber gallery in the rear hall destroying some fine carpentry. The early C19 rooms at the lower end have also been simplified but some of the chimneypieces have been replaced by Bernard Leach tiles surrounds. Exterior: 2 storeys and a single storey open hall. The asymmetrical south front contains the original hall range at the centre with the C20 5-light stone mullion and transom hall window to the right of centre with a hoodmould and leaded panes; to the left of centre the 2-storey porch the front of which breaks forward with a gable in the parapet and a first floor ariel with 3 arch-headed lights and a granite 2-centred arch doorway with large ovolo moulding and keeled cushion stops. The porch has a moulded string and cornice and at the sides buttresses with set-offs and slit windows on the ground and first floors. The granite inner doorway has a 2- centred arch a cavetta and chamfer moulding and keeled cushion stops; the C19 door has cover moulds and wrought iron strap hinges. Gabled to left and right over the lower and higher ends of the original range with 3-light first floor windows and 4-light ground floor windows, all C20 metal frame casements with leaded panes but the right hand first floor windows has its old wooden frame. 2 storey 2-window addition to the higher right end has small gable to right and two 3-light windows and-one simple light window, C20 metal frame casements with leaded panes in old wooden frames. At the lower left end a large circa early C19 addition with a gabled hipped roof and a large C20 3- light stone mullion ground floor window, smaller 4-light first floor window and a 5-light window to ground floor left in the lean-to extension, all with hoodmoulds and C20 metal frame casements with leaded panes. Rafter on 3 sides of a central covered yard (kitchen) at the rear; limestone rubble with scantle slate roofs with half-hipped half dormers, and a late C19 shouldered arch doorway on the west side. Interior: 5 bay open hall and a further 3 bays over the lower end. The 9 trusses are raised (possibly jointed) cruck trusses resting on wooden corbels and a moulded wall-plate; the cambered collars are morticed to the principals and the chamfered arch braces are stopped in 2 places on either arch to take bosses. There are 4 tiers of butt purlins, the massive butt purlin at collar level is square set, and the ridge piece is diagonally set. Some of the arch braces and purlins have been replaced. The 3 bays over the lower end have similar open trusses and at the lower end there is a truss against the end wall; all 8 bays of the roof structure appear to be smoke-blackened. The truss at the higher end of the hall is against the end wall where it is uncertain whether it was originally a closed truss or whether the open roof continued beyond the hall. The existing roof over the inner room is at right angles and one circa late C16 or early C17 truss survives; it has mortices far threaded or butt purlins. Beyond the inner room a small range parallel to the hall has a 3 bay roof, the principal rafters have curved feet, cranked collars, butt purlins and a diagonal ridge-piece; the range is of one room plan and two storeys and the floor has square-section cross-beams. The screens passage has early C17 composite moulded joints but the screen and gallery above are C20. The inner room has 2 similarly moulded early C17 ceiling beams and joints with run-out stops. The rear lateral fireplace in the hall is late C19 moulded stone. William White's hall behind the original hall is also open to the roof and has arch braced trusses resting on wooden corbels imitating the hall roof; it has a gallery on 2 sides somewhat altered by Rex Gardner in C20; there is a rear lateral stone fireplace and stone 2-centred arch doorways on the ground floor and at the gallery level. There is some early C18 joinery including fielded panel and moulded doors into the hall, parlour and lower rooms. There are other early C18 fielded 3-panel doors on the first floor of the rear left and right hand range, probably reused from elsewhere in the house. The early C19 wing at the lower end has some early C19 panelled doors and a single late C19 staircase. This early C19 wing has been much altered in the early C20 but there are 4 fireplace surrounds with Bernard Leech tiles with flower design and another Leach tile fireplace on the first floor of the rear right hand wing covered by a C20 radiator. The service ranges at the back are built around a central hall open to the roof with a glazed ventilator, probably the kitchen. Note: J A Froude (1818-94) the historian essayist and novelist was born at this house which was his fathers' rectory. Like his brother R H Froude (1803-36) he was a participant in the Oxford Movement; Keble and Newman both stayed at the parsonage. Another brother William Froude (1810-79) was the distinguished engineer and naval architect who is said to have tested his models on a tank in the garden.

Listing NGR: SX7868662699

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

101038

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Other
Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, Part 11 Devon,

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